Dallas pastor to lead 'King Teach-in' event to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

DALLAS - A virtual event this weekend will pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while also teaching activism.

The March on Washington back in August 1963 is a notable moment people remember when celebrating the Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"His last book was, ‘Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community? It’s kind of evident we’ve chosen chaos," Friendship Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Frederick Haynes III said.

Haynes will lead a national virtual discussion on Saturday, a Dr. King inspired "teach-in." 

His partners for the 4th annual event are San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Wilshire Baptist Church Pastor George Mason.

The timing, in the current political climate, is hard to ignore.

"I don’t think it’s an accident that what happened January 6, and its aftermath, is leading in to the celebration of such an amazing prophet who called himself a drum major for justice, a drum major for peace," Dr. Haynes.

The moderated discussion will include a panel of youth and young adults, and delve beyond Dr. King’s historic moments to the resulting legislation that followed each.

"The ‘63 march, it eventuated in the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. The Selma to Montgomery March eventuated into the passage of the Voting Rights Bill," Haynes explained.

Dr. Haynes will stress that protests and marches are not the only way to incorporate activism into daily life.

He suggests volunteering with efforts like food bank events, or simply staying informed about our world.

"We often miss the fact that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated, not because he had a dream, but because his prophetic witness led to change in public policy," he added. "Right now, we have the opportunity, if we handle this moment right, to produce a third reconstruction as we move toward making America a more perfect union."

The 4th annual ‘King Teach-in’ happens Saturday, Jan. 16, at 11 a.m.

It will be livestreamed on several social media platforms and the website for Friendship West Baptist Church.