New Jersey events celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life

Today would have marked the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 88th birthday. Tomorrow the nation will commemorate the civil rights leader’s life with marches, community service projects and educational events.

While Monday is a federal holiday and many workplaces are closed, people are encouraged to use the day off to participate in a community service project in King’s memory.

Museum exhibits, lectures, volunteer projects and outdoor work are just some of the ways New Jerseyans can honor King tomorrow:

ATLANTIC COUNTY

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey will hold its 13th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service at various locations starting at 8 a.m. Additional information is available here.

BERGEN COUNTY

Englewood will host its 47th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march from City Hall to Ebenezer Baptist Church at 9 a.m. A church service will follow at 10 a.m. Additional information available here.

Ridgewood and Glen Rock will celebrate King’s life with “Together in Hope,” an interfaith service at Ridgewood Methodist Church at 10 a.m. The service will be followed by a rally in Van Neste Park at 11:30 a.m. Additional information available here.

The Fellowship of Black Churches in Hackensack & Vicinity will host its Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Celebration at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 280 Central Ave., in Hackensack, at noon.

The Bergen County Martin Luther King Jr. Monument Committee is hosting the 88th Birthday Celebration in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at St. Anastasia Church in Teaneck from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tara Dowdell of MSNBC and Fox News is the featured speaker and Anthony Johnson, of Channel 7 Eyewitness News, will moderate. Additional information available here.

CAMDEN COUNTY

Jersey Cares is coordinating volunteers to paint murals and organize classrooms at the Boys & Girls Club of Camden County in Camden from 9 a.m. to noon. Additional information available here.

Rutgers-Camden is holding a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service. Volunteers will leave campus via bus at 8 a.m. and go to various sites. Additional information is available here.

Cherry Hill residents are invited to participate in the township’s Day of Service at various sites throughout the community. Additional information is available here.

ESSEX COUNTY

Newark Museum will be pay tribute to King from noon to 4 p.m. with musical performances and hands-on workshops and films, including a screening of King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Additional information available here.

Bloomfield will hold its 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance at New Light Baptist Church, 89-91 Dewey St., Bloomfield, at 4 p.m.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY

Gloucester Township is holding a day of service with volunteer projects throughout the community. Additional information is available here.

Rowan University is hosting its 31st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast at the Chamberlain Student Center at 9:30 a.m. Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Margaret Herman, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, will deliver the keynote address. Additional information is available here.

MERCER COUNTY

The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton will honor the legacy and life of King from  2 to 4 p.m. with guest speakers, music, arts and a Law Enforcement & Community Relations Police Encounters Panel Discussion. The Museum will also commemorate the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. Additional information available here.

MONMOUTH COUNTY

The YMCAs of Monmouth County are hosting their Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast at 8 a.m. at Branches Catering in West Long Branch. Richard T. Smith, President of the New Jersey State NAACP, is the featured speaker. Additional information available here.

Allaire Community Farm in Belmar is holding a National Day of Service from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children and adults are encouraged to volunteer with everything from daily chores to skilled repairs. Additional information is available here.

MORRIS COUNTY

The Morris Museum in Morristown will be playing a video of King’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” and there will be workshops and crafts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional information available here.

PASSAIC COUNTY

Canaan Baptist Church in Paterson is hosting its Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Program at 10 a.m. the Rev. Steven Eugene Carter, of Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Brooklyn, will serve as guest preacher. Additional information is available here.

UNION COUNTY

Diversity in New Providence, NJ is inviting school-aged children to spend time with older residents and play BINGO from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at ManorCare in New Providence. There will also be Martin Luther King Jr. Day crafts for young children. Additional information available here.

Scotch Plains and Fanwood are hosting their 8th annual Day of Service with volunteer opportunities from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be an opening ceremony event at 10 a.m. at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA. Additional information is available here.

Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit is participating in the National Day of Services with “Clearing the Way for Spring,” a morning of outdoor work. Additional information is available here.