Old City, Philadelphia—Representatives from The Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Association for Nonviolence Foundation (MLK Foundation), government officials, and visitors attended the annual Bell Ringing Ceremony on January 15, 2024, inside Independence Hall located at 526 Market Street, Philadelphia.
According to the MLK Foundation’s website, the official Federal King Holiday Commission was passed by Congress and signed into legislation by President Ronald Reagan on August 27, 1984, and they were given two specific mandates: To encourage appropriate ceremonies and activities related to the observation of the holiday, and to provide advice and assistance to private organizations, federal, state, and local governments regarding the observance of the holiday.
Several years later, the holiday was officially observed every third Monday in January, which was first observed on January 20, 1986.
Mistress of Ceremony, Janelle Burrell of CBS 3 introduced the distinguished guests and elected officials, including Dr. William Tucker, President of the MLK Foundation; this year’s National Bell Ringer, Honorable Austin Davis, Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Honorable Sharif Street, State Senator of PA; and Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall Blake, President of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation and Philadelphia MLK Board Member; and in between their remarks Grammy-nominated vocalist of Sister Sledge, Kathy Sledge, treated guests to live performances.
“Welcome to this 45th Bell Ringing Ceremony that takes place on every Martin Luther King Holiday,” stated Dr. William Tucker. He continued, “We are here today because of his late wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King; when President Reagan signed the Martin Luther King Holiday Law in 1984, they set up a commission to determine how best to celebrate the holiday. Mrs. King and the then-governor of New Jersey, Thomas B. Kean, were the co-chairs of that commission.
“It was Mrs. King’s desire that this ceremony takes place at the Liberty Bell on the holiday at 12 noon, which officially inaugurates the King Holiday…It was also her desire that the bells at Big Ben and the bells at the Vatican would ring, and here we are today, keeping the legacy alive and hope that you will continue to support his legacy in all that you do, because it’s a support for America” continued Tucker.
This year’s National Bell Ringer further reflects the ideals and beliefs behind Dr. King’s memory, as Honorable Austin Davis is paving the way for our future as the youngest and first African American Lt. Governor in Pennsylvania’s history.
“We’re here to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King and to honor his legacy, not just through our words but through our actions. Across Pennsylvania today people are coming together for service in their communities. We’re working together to build that beloved community that Dr. King envisioned, where all of us live together as brothers and sisters, and today–here in the birthplace of our democracy in Pennsylvania, we want to make sure that folks continue to have the freedom to chart their own course, regardless of what they look like, where they live, or who they choose to love. We want to make sure that Pennsylvania remains a beacon of freedom. So, thank you all for being here today, for recommitting ourselves to the work of Dr. King to create a better community for all of us,” stated Davis.
That same community was reflected in those gathered together for the ceremony; people from a variety of racial backgrounds were peacefully observing the event in remembrance of Dr. King and his impactful words and works.
After a last prayer written by Sandra Berliner by Rabbi Fran Gabreil from Shaare Shamayim of Philadelphia, PA, the Honorable Austin Davis, Lt. Governor, joined Steven Sims (Superintendent of Independence National Historical Park) in symbolically ringing the Liberty Bell at noon in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his namesake holiday.
For more information about The Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Association for Nonviolence Foundation, Inc., please visit https://philadelphiamlk.org
For more information about Liberty Hall, visiting hours, and more, please visit https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/stories-libertybell.htm
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