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MLK Day 2025: How should America's most famous King be remembered?

Photos courtesy of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

January 20, 2025 is MLK Day, marking the 30th anniversary of the federal holiday in honor of the life, impact and legacy of Dr. King. Americans celebrated the first official Martin Luther King Day on Jan 20, 1986. It is the only federal holiday commemorating an African-American.

D.L. Richardson, JPR reporter Roman Battaglia (interim host), JPR Host Mike Green and Kamilah Long
Senior Producer Natalie Golay
D.L. Richardson, JPR reporter Roman Battaglia (interim host), JPR Host Mike Green and Kamilah Long

Joining the JX is D.L. Richardson. He has more than 25 years of experience in teaching & diversity training. He has taught communication courses at the university and high school levels, including Civil Rights history. He also co-founded the community-based organization Black Southern Oregon Alliance. D.L. has also served on the boards of the Oregon Cares Fund for Black Relief and Resiliency, The Oregon African American/Black Student Success Advisory Committee, Oregon Racial Justice Council’s Education Recovery Committee, the Jackson County United Way, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Ashland.News. D.L. has also worked as an Equity Specialist with both Medford and Ashland School Districts, as well as the Southern Oregon Education Service District. And last, but not least, D.L. was the emcee of the Ashland MLK Day celebration for the past 20 years.

Also joining the JX is Kamilah Long, the former Chief Development Officer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and incoming emcee of the Ashland MLK Day celebration. (She is replacing D.L.) Kamilah is also the founder and CEO of The Black Whole (W. H. O.L.E.), a multimedia company that centers the Black community through art and storytelling. Kameela co-produced the short film You Go Girl! which has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival.

SOMLK.org

Southern Oregon MLK Day events.

From The King Center in Atlanta:
Our strategic theme for 2025 is ‘Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365′. This theme defines the 2025 King Holiday Observance events and programming while serving as a compass for all the work we will do this upcoming calendar year and beyond.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute (Stanford University)

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Roman Battaglia is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. After graduating from Oregon State University, Roman came to JPR as part of the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. He then joined Delaware Public Media as a Report For America fellow before returning to the JPR newsroom.
Mike Green is host of the Jefferson Exchange. Mike has lived in Southern Oregon for more than two decades. He is an award-winning journalist with over 20 years experience in media, specializing in media innovation, inclusive economics and entrepreneurship.
Natalie Golay is the Senior Producer of the Jefferson Exchange. She has a B.A. in Visual Arts, a multimedia certificate from the Vancouver Film school, and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. A communications professional for over 20 years, Natalie is a natural storyteller with extensive audio and video production skills.