MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS News) - Murfreesboro will once again gather in remembrance and purpose this Monday (1/19/2026) for the 21st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March, an event coordinated from the beginning by community leader Shawn Brown. Brown will join WGNS’ Action Line Monday morning from 8:15 to 9:00 a.m. to reflect on how the march began, how it has grown, and why it remains such an important tradition for Rutherford County.
Participants are asked to arrive at Central Magnet School at 11:00 a.m. this coming Monday morning for fellowship and food before stepping off at noon. The forecast calls for sunshine but a brisk 32 degrees, so Brown encourages everyone to bundle up.
The 1.5-mile march begins at noon at Central Magnet School, 701 E. Main Street, and extends to Middle Tennessee Blvd. and then turns south on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., formally Mercury Blvd. The march ends at Patterson Park Community Center. Registration for the 1.5-mile march this Monday begins at 11:00AM and begins precisely at noon.
Parade Coordinator Brown noted, "This a great opportunity for our community to march down the street that bears Dr. King's name and to come together and remember a man who fought for social equality and justice."
Murfreesboro City Councilmember and MLK March Committee member Kirt Wade was instrumental in getting Mercury Blvd. renamed in honor of King in 2021.
The march honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and has grown into one of the largest and now longest marches in Rutherford County. The Murfreesboro Lodge #12 P.H.A. Free and Accepted Masons, City of Murfreesboro, Bridgestone, United Steel Workers, and Free At Last Bail Bonding are sponsoring the march.
The march itself grew out of Murfreesboro’s longstanding commitment to honoring Dr. King’s message of justice, service, and community. While the exact year of the first local march is tied to the early organizing efforts of Brown and local civic groups, the tradition aligns with the broader national observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, first celebrated in 1986 after being signed into law in 1983.
Dr. King’s influence on Middle Tennessee is deeper than many realize. He maintained close ties with members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, including those in Murfreesboro, and his widow, Coretta Scott King, was an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, whose local chapter remains active in regional commemorations. MTSU continues to honor King annually with campus events that highlight his teachings and their relevance today.
King’s legacy in Tennessee is also marked by his final days in Memphis, where he delivered his prophetic “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech before his assassination on April 4, 1968. His work—rooted in Christian faith, nonviolence, and the pursuit of equality—helped bring about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Brown noted, "Events like Murfreesboro’s annual march matter because they keep King’s message alive in a tangible, communal way. They remind residents that the work of justice and unity is ongoing, and that each generation must recommit itself to the ideals King championed."
Monday’s program at Patterson Community Center will include presentations of King’s best‑known speeches, offering a powerful opportunity to hear his words anew, setting the tone for a day of reflection, gratitude, and renewed purpose.
