As police shootings escalate, the housing crisis worsens, and COVID continues to disproportionately affect people of color, it’s clear we still have a long way to go in the fight for civil rights. As Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches, why not honor his legacy by working to make your community a better place? 

MLK Day of Service Maternal Health Supply Drive

Diaper Bank of NC, Durham

New moms are going through a tough time right now with coronavirus on the loose and in-person medical care limited. This weekend, United Way of the Greater Triangle is asking people to bolster maternal health by donating diapers, baby wipes, and vaginal care products. Drop off supplies from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the Diaper Bank of NC, 1311 E Club Blvd., Durham. 

MLK Interfaith Celebration

Christ the King Lutheran Church, Cary

All are welcome at the MLK Interfaith Celebration, where clergy from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religious traditions will be speaking. Guest preacher Rev. CeCe Mills, from Salisbury, will also be taking the stage. Guests can even hear Martin Luther King Jr. himself speak through NC State’s Virtual MLK Project, which immerses viewers in a virtual reality recreation of King’s “Fill Up the Jails” speech at Durham’s White Rock Baptist Church in 1960. The celebration is 3:30 p.m. Sunday at 600 Walnut St., Cary. 

Cultural Arts Society of Fuquay-Varina’s MLK March

Join Fuquay-Varina’s Cultural Arts Society as members celebrate MLK Day with a march from St. Augusta MBC to the Falcon Park Shelter for prayer, performances, and light refreshments. The march begins at St. Augusta MBC promptly at 10:15 a.m. on Monday morning; the celebration at Falcon Park Shelter, 105 Falcon Park, Fuquay-Varina, lasts until noon.  

Dream Big Book Drive

Durham Central Park

Giving a book to a child can put them on a lifelong path to a love of reading. And that’s just what Book Harvest is aiming to do Monday as the nonprofit hosts its annual book drive and community celebration. Enjoy the family-friendly festival, and bring a children’s book to donate, from 1-4 p.m. Monday at Durham Central Park, 502 Foster St., Durham. 

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Follow Staff Writer Jasmine Gallup on Twitter or send an email to jgallup@indyweek.com.