PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — There are several events going on in Hampton Roads and northeast North Carolina on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
There’s a food drive in Newport News, volunteering and community-building in Hampton and more. The Hampton NAACP will also kick off a campaign to help two men who were recently pardoned by former Governor Ralph Northam — one which was sentenced to 1,823 years in prison.
Here’s the list of local events:
Online
- Hampton Roads native Pharrell Williams spoke during an online community leaders awards event hosted by the Urban League of Hampton Roads. You can watch the full event here.
Peninsula
- Newport News Mayor McKinley Price is holding a food drive at Virginia Peninsula Foodbank in Hampton from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Local churches and organizations are partnering with AmeriCorps to renovate training spaces at Buckroe Baptist Church in Hampton.
- The NAACP of Hampton is holding is kicking off a campaign to help the two men recently pardoned by former Gov. Northam at 1 p.m. New Hope Baptist Church in Hampton. WAVY’s Aesia Toliver will have coverage. You can donate to the men’s GoFundMe here.
- Best Kept Secret Stop the Violence Organization will host a MLK community day event from 11:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. at 1025 North King St. in Hampton.
Southside
- The Bob Danbridge MLK Basketball Challenge will be held at Echols Hall at Norfolk State University from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Admission is $10 and masks are required. For more information, click here.
North Carolina
- A MLK Jr. Millennial Journey to Justice event is being held at K.E. White Center at Elizabeth City State University at 11 a.m.
Look for more coverage of MLK Day coming up later today. Government services, including courts, the DMV and Postal Service are all closed for the holiday. You can see the full list of local closures here.
