The Northland hosts virtual events for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Happpening today in the Northland, the Duluth NAACP will be live streaming an event commemorating King called "Our Rising Voices" on their Facebook page.

The community coordination chair for the Duluth chapter, Salaam Witherspoon, said the event is aimed at elevating King's call for equality.

"2020 really shined a lot of light on systemic racism and how its so prevalent and how its still a part of our lives, so its  important to keep his message alive that he stood for unity," she said. "He stood for uniting folks together and also putting God first, you know, especially with the unknown." 

The Minnesota Historical Society also launched an initiative called "Black History, Black Voices" which aims to connect King's civil right's legacy to present day issues.

Another goal of the initiative is to teach people about the role the state of Minnesota played in the civil rights movement.