How The Henry Ford is celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. over the holiday weekend

Jan 14, 2026

The Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday is Monday, January 19, and The Henry Ford in Dearborn is hosting a full weekend of programming to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and birthday. Host Stephen Henderson speaks with The Henry Ford’s Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ellen Hill Zeringue about the activities taking place from January 17-19.

She explains there will be plays, musical performances, conversations, and an opportunity to view the chair that Dr. King sat in while watching President Lyndon B. Johnson deliver a televised speech on voting rights in 1965.

The chair is part of The Jackson Home exhibit, which opens at Greenfield Village this summer. The house served as the strategic planning hub for Dr. King and his colleagues in Selma, Alabama while planning the Selma to Montgomery protest marches. Zeringue also talks about how Dr. King’s legacy aligns with The Henry Ford’s emphasis on telling the stories of amazing innovators.

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