MLK Youth Rally and March

The annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March has grown into a Lincoln tradition during its 26-year history. This year’s rally and march on Monday was untraditional - held virtually because of the pandemic - but it was no less impactful.

Lincoln Public Schools students play a major role in the organization of the event that celebrates King’s legacy. The event organizers’ mission is to promote the “life and dream of the late Rev. Dr. King Jr. through positive youth action in the community.”

Monday’s rally and march was held with a limited number of students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but the event still reached a wide audience through social media and the City of Lincoln’s television channel.

“It's important that we take steps right now, and our need to relate to the need now more than ever to walk together toward the goals of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Leola Bullock," said planning committee member Kylin Trout, a student at Lefler Middle School, also referring to the longtime civil rights activist from Lincoln who died in 2010.

The event kicked off with a video tribute to King, featuring musical performances and portions of many of his speeches. Multiple LPS students spoke of King’s lasting impact and the need for continued activism. The event concluded with a stirring spoken-word performance by the Belmont Elementary School TRACKS Scholars, a student leadership group.


Published: January 19, 2021, Updated: January 19, 2021