Our Story

The Seattle MLK, Jr. Organizing Coalition is an all-volunteer organization composed of dozens of grassroots, labor, business, communities of color, and progressive community organizations and volunteers from throughout the Puget Sound region. Annually, since 1982, these groups come together and organize our community's largest tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Every year the MLK Jr Organizing Coalition Meetings organizes a large scale celebration in the only geographic jurisdiction named in Dr. King's honor. We focus on the same issues that Martin Luther King Jr. worked on: racial equality, economic justice, peace, and we honor Dr. King’s commitment to nonviolent means. Each year, thousands of local citizens participate in one of the biggest and most racially diverse rallies and marches held in Seattle.

The theme varies, and usually speaks to the need for justice in all facets of our society: locally, nationally, and globally. The celebration typically includes morning workshops, a rally, a march, and other events organized around this theme. Our efforts keep the spotlight on our responsibility to correct the injustices in our world, from our criminal justice system to our public schools to senseless military misadventures that threaten human rights and rob our communities of resources.