Council Member Adams read a City of Boulder proclamation on Jan. 9 declaring Jan. 20, 2025, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and invited David Humphrey, assistant vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Colorado Boulder, to accept the declaration.

The declaration recounted highlights of Dr. King’s life, including the Montgomery bus boycott, the 1963 March on Washington and his Nobel Peace Prize, and urged residents to honor the day as one of service. “We, the city of Boulder, Colorado, declare January 20th, 2025 as Martin Luther King Junior Day and urge our fellow community members to celebrate the spirit of this day by seeking out and acting on opportunities for service in our community,” Council Member Adams read.

Nut graf: The public presentation paired a formal city proclamation with a brief address by Dr. Humphrey that framed King’s legacy as an ongoing call to reckon with structural injustice and to build what King called a “beloved community.” The remarks emphasized that commemoration requires truth telling, accountability and active engagement rather than a sanitized or purely symbolic remembrance.

In his remarks, Dr. David Humphrey tied the civil-rights leader’s activism to contemporary responsibilities. “King’s vision for the beloved community calls us to this higher standard of engagement and action,” Dr. Humphrey said. He warned against “color blindness” as a substitute for real reconciliation and urged the city to resist narratives of supremacy and erasure. “Reconciliation requires truth telling, accountability and courage to confront injustice head on,” he said.

Speakers at the meeting highlighted King’s long record of organizing and legislative impact. Council Member Adams noted federal recognition of the holiday as a day of service and read the city declaration, then turned the virtual microphone to Dr. Humphrey. Humphrey referenced King’s fraternity ties and the influence of nonviolence and mutuality in King’s public life.

City staff and the council did not take further formal action tied to the proclamation; the agenda moved next to the consent calendar.

Ending: The council’s proclamation aligns Boulder with nationwide observances of the holiday and sets a tone for local programs and volunteer efforts for Jan. 20. The city’s webpage and community partners typically post volunteer opportunities tied to the day; the proclamation asked residents to pursue service opportunities and civic engagement to honor King’s legacy.