A Baltimore museum was sponsoring a “Dare to Dream Day,” San Francisco was having a march and parade, and Houston was holding a job fair as big cities, small towns, states and institutions across America observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.

MLK Jr. Day is a federal holiday, so most government offices across the nation were closed and the Postal Service would not deliver mail. But plenty of activities will honor King, who gained global fame for his nonviolent approach to civil rights and social justice.

In Atlanta, the King Center has been sponsoring two weeks of events with the theme “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.” Events Monday included an empowerment fair for literacy, health and career development, and a commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, a church founded by King’s grandfather and later led by King’s father.

In Baltimore, the American Visionary Art Museum was sponsoring an open microphone for people to talk about what King means to them, plus art creation, music, dance and other events.

San Francisco and many other communities were holding commemorative parades and marches to honor the iconic marches from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965 that helped lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Selma itself was hosting a Stop the Violence Rally and March.

Houston was among cities holding job fairs, promising an event “packed with resources and opportunities for those seeking new employment.”

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Developments:

∎ New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said King “showed us the power of courage, compassion and fighting for what’s right. … We must continue fighting to ensure that one day, his dream for humanity will come true.”

∎ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lauded King’s “life and legacy” and said the “beacon of hope he inspired in our nation will burn bright for generations to come.”

National Day of Racial Healing

Tuesday, the day after MLK Day, has been designated a National Day of Racial Healing. In Jackson, Mississippi, admission is free at the Two Mississippi Museums, which include the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History. Director Michael Morris said the weekend’s events and free admission will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum has exhibits related to that powerful historical moment,” Morris said.

− Mary Boyte, Mississippi Clarion Ledger