MLK March Route in Murfreesboro Changes and Will Proceed Down the Street Named in Honor of the Slain Civil Rights Leader

The 19th annual MLK March in Murfreesboro is following a new longer route and will proceed down the street named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, January 16, according to march organizers.

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 and line-up begin at 11 a.m.

“Snow forced us to cancel the march last year,” said MLK March Founder Shawn Brown. “So, this a great opportunity for our community to march down the street that bears Dr. King’s name and to come together to remember a man who fought for social equality and justice.”

Murfreesboro City Council member and MLK March Committee member Kirt Wade was instrumental in getting Mercury Blvd. renamed in honor of King in 2021.

“Getting the street renamed was only the beginning,” Wade said. “There is much more work for us to do to make this historic part of our city resemble King’s dream and honor his lifelong work.”

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.

After the march, there will be a rally and short program at the Patterson Park pavilion with a reciting of an MLK Speech by high school student DeShawn Rodgers, a prayer, and singing, followed by a Day of Service.

Organizers invite the public and members of the media to attend.

WHO: 2023 MLK Jr. March
WHERE: Central Magnet School, 701 E. Main Street
WHEN: January 16, 2023
WHY: Honoring the legacy of the slain Civil Rights Leader