Wreath ceremony signals start of events for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed Monday.
People in Indianapolis started celebrating Wednesday night with an annual tradition: The Indiana Civil Rights Commission‘s Wreath Placing Ceremony at Monument Circle.
People stood silent as the wreath was placed, and then heard several speakers talk about King’s legacy.
Also, seven Hoosiers were honored during the ceremony for their contributions to humanity.
Gregory L. Wilson, executive director of the civil rights commission, said, “This year, we chose to highlight the importance of walking in the light of altruism. As you’ll hear multiple times throughout the evening, Dr. King once said, “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.’”
Downtown Indy Inc.’s commemorative light show followed the ceremony. The quote from King inspired the Shining a Light debut on the AES Indiana building on the Circle. The light show will repeat nightly at 6:44 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:14 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10:14 p.m. through Monday.
The civil rights commission says the principal behind the quote will help guide its goals for the rest of the year.