MLK Dayton Banquet

“A Charge to Keep I Have” is the theme for the 2025 MLK Banquet at the Dayton Arcade, featuring an electric address by Dr. Rodney Kennedy.

Every January, thousands of people with diverse backgrounds march from West Third Street to downtown Dayton to honor the memory and advance the progress of clergyman, African American civil rights activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The month-long celebration features events such as an interfaith worship service, Emancipation Proclamation, youth celebration, workshop, musical, march, and banquet.

“A Charge to Keep I Have” is the theme for this year’s event and the evening banquet will feature an electric address by Dr. Rodney Kennedy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an activist who is committed to civil rights and social justice.