"It’s the celebration of one man’s vision... past, present and future.
The celebration of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday will be held in Kingsport on January 19 2026. He is the only African-American whose life and legacy is celebrated with a national holiday. The celebration date is always on the third Monday every January. His actual birthday is Jan. 15.
"This will be the 26th year of the commemoration of Dr. King’s birthday with a parade in downtown Kingsport," said Pastor Ronnie Collins of the Tennessee/Virginia Fellowship Against Racism, and the East Tennessee District Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship who sponsors the parade. "Dr. King was destined for a life of service and devotion to Civil Rights for all people. Even though we still have a long way to go, celebrating his life on the holiday is the right thing to do."
At 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 19, parade participants will gather at the corner of East Sullivan Street in the old McAninch Apartments parking lot. The event is free and open to anyone who wants to walk or have a float. Marchers will walk up Sullivan Street, through the Cherokee/Charlemont Street intersection, ending in the city hall parking lot, 415 Broad St. at the Church Circle. It’s about a 15-minute walk.
The traditional parade route moved over from Center Street in an effort to provide more safety for the participants.
The New Vision Youth Group from Kingsport visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC in 2012
The themes for this year’s Kingsport parade are "The Answer to Racism is the Love of Christ," and "Love More in 2026: Choose to Love and Not to Hate." Pastor Collins said it’s a reflection of difficult times.
"African-Americans are still looking for equality even today," he said. "We are still looking to be treated fairly. As a society, we all need to talk about love, we need to talk about peace, we need to re-examine the way we treat each other. Fairness, love and respect was Dr. King’s message and that message is with us today. If you believe in peace, if you believe in love, if you believe in your fellow man, and if you believe that we can solve problems together rather than separately, you’re invited to walk in the parade and then we’ll sit down and discuss those ideas over lunch."
Last year's luncheon
That’s where the annual Dr. King Luncheon comes in. At 1 p.m. shortly after the parade, the annual New Vision Youth MLK Luncheon will be held at the Riverview Community Center on Wheatley Street in Kingsport between Head Start and the pickleball courts.
"Every year, Dr. King’s birthday is a time of handshakes and hugs among neighbors, friends, parishioners, co-workers, and relatives around a good meal," New Vision luncheon organizer Johnnie Mae Swagerty said. "It’s also a reminder that we should be sharing that fellowship all year long."
That event is also free and open to the public.
Box lunches will be catered by Old Crow Tavern, consisting of pulled pork, a roasted chicken sandwich, fried baloney sandwiches, potato wedges, salad, iced tea and dessert. Kingsport Chamber ambassadors will serve the meal, and there will be drawings for free meals at the Kingsport Texas Roadhouse.
Special guest motivational speaker will be Reverend Dr. Leon William Ward, pastor of the Hood Memorial AME Zion Church in Bristol, Tennessee. He will offer a prayer for peace and also reflect on the life of Dr. King and speak to his legacy. Mercedes Hill of the Central Baptist Church in Kingsport will also offer praise dancing in honor of the slain civil rights leader.
The New Vision Youth MLK Luncheon is sponsored by the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, KHRA, South Central Kingsport Community Development and Kingsport Parks and Recreation.
There will also be a couple of events leading up to the parade. "Tell It Like It Is" with Pastor Collins will be held Friday, Jan. 16, at 6 p.m. in the Riverview Community Room at V.O. Dobbins at the Wheatley Street entrance beside the pickleball courts.
MLK Youth Bingo will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m. in the Riverview Community Room at V.O. Dobbins at the Wheatley Street entrance beside the pickleball courts. The event is free. MLK Senior Bingo will be held at the same location at 6 p.m. Senior Bingo participants are asked to bring two prizes.
The annual New Vision Youth MLK Candlelight Vigil, formerly held on the evening of Dr. King’s birthday, has been moved to April 4, the day the beloved Civil Rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968. It will be the 33rd anniversary of the annual Candlelight Vigil."
