Several local events are planned to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, commemorating King’s life and legacy as a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
The Oneonta NAACP is holding its annual MLK celebration at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18 at the Elm Park Methodist Church in Oneonta. The event will feature a keynote speaker, musical performances and remarks from local officials.
The First Baptist Church of Cooperstown will host a memorial service 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19. The service will include songs, readings and inspiration to put King’s legacy into action today. It will be followed by a time of food and fellowship at the church. For more information, email baptistcooperstown@gmail.com or leave a message at 607-547-9371.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame is offering a program at 1:30 p.m. Monday titled “MLK and Baseball,” which explores the connections between King and the sport, including the effect of his 1968 assassination on Major League Baseball. Other themed activities, such as tours emphasizing the plaques of Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, are scheduled throughout the day. For more information, visit https://baseballhall.org/events/martin-luther-king-jr-day-0.
At Hartwick College, the Yager Museum will be open 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
At 11:30 a.m., Harry Bradshaw Matthews, curator of the current exhibition Memorializing the Underground Railroad, will present a talk titled “Building a Community With Truth and Understanding.” Matthews will highlight key individuals and organizations that worked over generations to support the Underground Railroad and abolitionist efforts in Otsego, Delaware and Chenango counties. A question-and-answer session will follow.
Matthews retired from Hartwick College in 2020 as associate dean and director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs. During his tenure, he researched the college’s historical ties to the antislavery movement and mentored diverse student affinity organizations. In 2024, Matthews was awarded the college’s doctor of humane letters degree.
The exhibition features Matthews’ extensive collection of rare books and images documenting the journeys of enslaved African Americans seeking freedom and marks the first public presentation of this collection, which represents a critical period in American history.
The exhibition will remain on view at the Yager Museum through Jan. 23. For more information, contact Quentin Lewis, museum curator, at 607-431-4481 or lewisq@hartwick.edu, or Douglas Kendall, museum director, at 607-431-4423 or kendalld@hartwick.edu.
On Jan. 26, after students return to campus, SUNY Oneonta’s annual commemoration and community breakfast will feature guest speaker Sarah Collins Rudolph. Widely known as the “Fifth Little Girl,” she was the sole survivor of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Hunt Ballroom. RSVP is required: https://forms.office.com/r/XS58CSxcpU.