Opportunities abound for union members seeking to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, Jan. 18.

The civil rights icon was also a champion of workers’ rights. King was in Memphis to rally support for striking sanitation workers when he was assassinated April 4, 1968.

AFL-CIO Community Services liaisons from the Saint Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center, the nonprofit arm of the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, have compiled the following list of observances planned for MLK Day 2021:

• 2021 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference (Jan. 15-16). The nation’s largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO, has planned its annual MLK Day conference around the theme “From Protest to Power: When We Fight, We Win.” Organizers plan to build on recent victories and strategize about the continued fight for economic and racial justice with — and also within — the labor movement. The conference is free of charge, but participants must register in advance.
• Saint Paul’s East Side Freedom Library will present “The Freedom Struggle is a Labor Struggle,” an online discussion at 7 p.m. Jan. 18. Click here to register via Zoom.
• The Twin Cities’ annual MLK Breakfast will move online this year, with the theme “Our Rising Voices: A Call for Bold Social Action.” Proceeds from ticket sales support the local chapter of the UNCF.
• Gov. Tim Walz will participate in “Beloved Community, Beloved Connections,” an online MLK Day celebration premiering on the governor’s YouTube page at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 18. The family-oriented celebration features Matthew A. Cherry, creator of the Academy Award-winning animated short film and book “Hair Love.”
• The University of Minnesota’s Office of Equity and Diversity will host a musical tribute to King’s legacy at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17.