Federal Way’s 2025 MLK Celebration set for Jan. 18

Federal Way’s annual celebration for Martin Luther King Jr. Day is coming early on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The free event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center, 31510 Pete von Reichbauer Way S. After the performances from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., the last hour will be open for community connections with booths and networking with local organizations.

Jan. 20 is double-booked with the presidential inauguration, so the yearly event has been moved to the Saturday before, according to organizers.

This year’s theme is “The Next Generation of the Dream” and will feature cultural performances, speakers and reflection on the legacy of MLK Jr.

“Dr. King has a dream translated down through the generations, but is it going to just die with those who are very familiar, who are older, who are familiar with what happened with civil rights?” local resident Ron Walker told the Mirror. Walker led the organizing of the MLK Jr. Day event in Federal Way for many years, took a break, and now is back at it.

“The young people are living it, but do they understand the struggle that it took to get us to where we are?” Walker continued. This event and this theme addresses the broader questions of, “How do we transfer the concept of community? How do we transfer the concept of unity? How do we transfer the concept that everybody’s valuable?”

Focusing on this theme, Walker said the tradition of the passing of the community flame will have a twist this year, with older folks lighting the candle for younger people.

The next generation was also in mind when selecting features for the event, Walker said, including some younger performers and keynote speaker Evan Cook, whose work centers on creating opportunity for youth.

Cook is the co-founder and board chair for the Federal Way Black Collective. Cook also founded a multifaceted company called Restoring Mindz, which includes public speaking and a clothing and art store that he runs with his family, according to his bio.

Cook was also a Federal Way Mirror Hometown Hero in 2023.

Other features will include Happy Dance Studio, East Indian ABC Dance, FIL – AM Dance troop, Northwest Tap, Integrity Life Children’s Choir and more as well as Kenisha Blackman performing the national anthem.

“Many people may see an MLK celebration as primarily a celebration by and for African Americans. But Dr. King’s legacy is much greater than that,” Walker said, adding that “his vision was and is for all people coming together forming the ‘beloved community.’ The more our celebrations reflect that ideal, the better we become as people. My dream is for our diverse city to be on the cutting edge of his dream.”

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of the concept of the beloved community often, describing it as the final result of nonviolent action where “the end is redemption and reconciliation. The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness,” as he said in 1957.

By embracing the theme of “the next generation of the dream,” Walker said he hopes to highlight the way young people can be part of living this beloved community in Federal Way and beyond.

To him, the beloved community concept invites people in Federal Way to ask, “what does a community look like when it’s one that actualized correctly, where people are valued, where friendships are cross cultural, where people live in community and peace. What does it actually look like?”

This is a moment when the city of Federal Way is in transition, Walker said, transitioning from a more small town feel to becoming a larger city. This transition means it is the perfect opportunity to invite all generations to come together and really build that beloved community, Walker said.