The US political climate spurs efforts to reclaim the MLK holiday

As communities across the country on Monday hosted parades, panels and service projects for the 40th federal observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the political climate for some is more fraught with tensions than festive with reflection on the slain Black American civil rights icon's legacy.

In the year since Donald Trump's second inauguration fell on King Day, the Republican president has adopted a scorched earth stance against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and targeted mostly Black-led cities for federal law enforcement operations, among other policies that many King admirers have criticized.

One year ago, Trump's executive orders “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” and “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” accelerated a rollback of civil rights and racial justice initiatives in federal agencies, corporations and universities. Last month, the National Park Service announced it will no longer offer free admission to parks on King Day and Juneteenth, but instead on Flag Day and Trump's birthday.

A.R. Bernard, founder, pastor and CEO of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, told an audience gathered at King's home church in Atlanta Sunday that the Trump administration is attempting to rewrite history.

“We are living in a moment where America is being tempted to forget the painful truth of its Black history. Slavery being renamed as labor, segregation reduced to a footnote, racial terror explained away as exaggeration,” Bernard said, speaking at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. “This is irresponsible, historical revisionism.”

Urgent calls to unite against injustice were interspersed with energetic gospel at Ebenezer, where King preached. A sense that civil and human rights are at stake infused the comments by many speakers there Monday.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat and Ebenezer’s senior pastor, invoked a story about King fighting for the Voting Rights Act after Congress passed the Civil Rights Act. He urged the crowd to keep pushing against Trump’s policies, sweeping immigration enforcement and what he described as attempts from the “Trump-Vance regime” to sow division.

“They are trying to weaponize despair and convince us that we are at war with one another,” Warnock said.

The fatal shooting this month of an unarmed Minneapolis woman in her car by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sent there to target the city's Somali immigrant population, as well as Trump recently decrying civil rights as discrimination against white people, have only intensified fears of a regression from the social progress King and many others advocated for.

Still, the concerns did not chill many King holiday events planned this year. Some conservative admirers of King say the holiday should be a reminder of the civil rights icon's plea that all people be judged by their character and not their skin color. Some Black advocacy groups, however, vowed a day of resistance and rallies nationwide.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump said he felt the Civil Rights Movement and the reforms it helped usher in were harmful to white people, who “were very badly treated.” Politicians and advocates say Trump's comments are what are harmful, because they dismiss the hard work of King and others that helped not just Black Americans but other groups, including women and the LGBTQ+ community.

“I think the Civil Rights Movement was one of the things that made our country so unique, that we haven’t always been perfect, but we’ve always strived to be this more perfect union, and that’s what I think the Civil Rights Movement represents,” Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor and only the nation’s third elected Black governor, said this week in an interview with The Associated Press.

Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, one of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights coalitions, said the Trump administration's priorities make clear it is actively trying to erase the movement.

“From health care access and affordable housing to good paying jobs and union representation," Wiley said, “things Dr. King made part of his clarion call for a beloved community are still at stake and is even more so because (the administration) has dismantled the very terms of government and the norms of our culture.”

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Trump did issue a proclamation late Monday, writing, “On this day, I encourage all Americans to recommit themselves to Dr. King’s dream by engaging in acts of service to others, to their community, and to our Nation.”

In Washington Monday, hundreds of people marched along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, braving cold weather to honor the civil rights leader. The parade began decades ago as part of the effort to establish a national holiday in King’s honor.

Sam Ford, a retired broadcaster and member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade Committee, helped bring the parade back in 2012.

“We got to continue to do this because not just of Dr. King, but of what he stood for," Ford said. “The struggle continues.”

Parade participant Harold Hunter echoed that sentiment.

“It’s not just a white thing or Black thing. This is a people thing,” he said.

The conservative Heritage Foundation think tank encouraged the holiday’s focus to stay solely on King himself. Brenda Hafera, a foundation research fellow, urged people to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta or reread his “I have a dream” speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington nearly 63 years ago.

Using the holiday as a platform to rally and speak about “anti-racism” and “critical race theory” actually rejects King’s ambition for the country, Hafera argued.

“I think efforts should be conducted in the spirit of what Martin Luther King actually believed and what he preached. And his vision was a colorblind society, right,” Hafera said. “He says very famously in his speech, don’t judge by the color of your skin, but the content of your character.”

The NAACP, the nation's oldest civil right organization, which had many MLK Day events planned for Monday, asserted that the heightened fears among communities of color and in immigrant communities mean King Day observances must take a different tone. People will have to put their safety first, even if their government isn't, said Wisdom Cole, NAACP senior national director of advocacy.

“As folks are using their constitutional right to protest and to speak out and stand up for what they believe in, we are being faced with violence. We are faced with increased police and state violence inflicted by the government,” Cole said.

The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of organizations affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, had planned its events under the banner “Reclaim MLK Day of Action.” Organizers planned demonstrations in Atlanta; Chicago; and Oakland, California, among other cities, over the weekend and Monday.

“This year it is more important than ever to reclaim MLK’s radical legacy, letting his wisdom and fierce commitment to freedom move us into the action necessary to take care of one another, fight back, and free ourselves from this fascist regime,” Devonte Jackson, a national organizing director for the coalition, said in a statement.

For the first time in its 60-year history, Indiana University in Indianapolis canceled its annual Martin Luther King dinner. Over the years, the event drew notable guest speakers including Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, and activist Angela Davis.

The reasoning was “budget constraints,” according to a social media post by the school's Black Student Union. However, the group said it was worried this was “connected to broader political pressures.” A few students responded by organizing smaller community dinners or “eat-ins” to fill the void, WTHR-TV in Indianapolis reported.

Meanwhile, the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Westbrook, Maine, canceled a MLK Day service due to “unforeseen circumstances,” according to the parish website. But a member of the church's “social justice and peace committee” told NewsCenterMaine.com that the pastor was concerned about people's safety amid rumors of ICE agents being in the area.

Overall, there have been few reports of King Day events being majorly scaled down or canceled altogether.

In Memphis, Tennessee, the National Civil Rights Museum was going about its annual King Day celebration as normal. The museum is located on the site of the former Lorraine Motel, where King was shot on April 4, 1968. The museum offered free admission on the holiday, an annual tradition.

“This milestone year is not only about looking back at what Dr. King stood for, but also recognizing the people who continue to make his ideals real today,” museum President Russell Wigginton said.

Tang reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Matt Brown in Washington; Adrian Sanz in Memphis, Tennessee; Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, and Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta contributed to this report.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is photographed Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Participants walk during the District of Columbia's annual Martin Luther King Day parade Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks during the Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (Abbey Cutrer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

A participant carries a banner with an image of Martin Luther King, Jr., during the District of Columbia's annual Martin Luther King Day parade Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. seen at Contra Costa College ahead of his lecture in San Pablo, Calif. on Feb. 14, 1964. (Pete Breinig/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

FILE - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a speech in Selma, Ala., Feb. 12, 1965. (AP Photo/Horace Cort, file)

FILE - The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial during the 9th Annual Wreath Laying and Day of Reflection and Reconciliation, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - A visitor pauses as she visits the memorial "Landmark for Peace" commemorating the site where Robert Kennedy delivered his immortal words on the night of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 4, 2018. The park where Kennedy called for peace and unity just hours after the assassination of King is being designated a National Historic Site. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

FILE - A crowd marches across the Lefty O'Doul Bridge during the MLK Day March in San Francisco on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Dan Hernandez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)

FILE - A marcher holds up a sign at a march and rally at the South Carolina Statehouse to honor Martin Luther King Jr. on his holiday on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to cap his 31-point barrage in 12 minutes, beating the World team 48-45 and sending his “Stripes” team into the final against their fellow Americans on the “Stars” at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

Leonard thrilled his home crowd in the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome with a spectacular effort in the third short game of the mini-tournament comprising the latest iteration of the main event of All-Star weekend.

The seven-time All-Star went 11 of 13 and 6 of 7 from beyond the arc despite a reasonable defensive effort from the World team led by Victor Wembanyama, who scored 19 points before missing a tying 3-pointer attempt at the buzzer.

LeBron James put the Stripes ahead with 31 seconds left on a putback dunk, but Wembanyama hit two free throws to tie it before Leonard's dagger.

All three mini-games featured dramatic finishes and appeared to be played at a higher level of competitiveness than most All-Star Games in recent years, suggesting the league’s fourth All-Star format in four years might have finally cracked the code on the long-standing question of how to make this midseason showcase more entertaining.

Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a clinching 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36.

De’Aaron Fox then hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second game, sending the slightly older Stripes team past the slightly younger Stars 42-40.

The All-Star Game has received years of criticism for the players’ increasingly indifferent effort and TV viewers’ declining interest. The new setup matches two teams of American All-Stars against a team representing the World, hoping to stoke nationalistic passion from players and fans during an Olympic year.

Despite going 0-2, Wembanyama made good on his vow to take the game seriously, also leading the World team in scoring with 14 points in the first game.

In the third round-robin game, Leonard hit his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters' section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.

John Tesh took the court with his band before the game for a live rendition of “Roundball Rock,” the iconic 1990s theme song of “NBA on NBC," to mark the league's return to the network this season. That network partnership is also the reason the All-Star Game was an afternoon affair on the West Coast, because NBC airs the Winter Olympics at night.

The Intuit Dome crowd included former President Barack Obama, who received a standing ovation pregame.

Edwards scored 13 points and hit the tying 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left in regulation to begin the mini-tourney.

Edwards hit a 14-footer to begin the first-to-five-points overtime period. Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, but Raptors star Barnes ended it by draining his only shot of the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 10 points, but Norman Powell — a born-and-raised Californian who represents Jamaica internationally — missed a potential winning shot for the World at the regulation buzzer.

Towns scored 50 points in the All-Star Game two years ago and then hit a 37-footer from the logo in last year’s game in San Francisco. He made a 27-footer to put the World up 26-17 with 4 1/2 minutes left, but Cade Cunningham and Jalen Johnson led the Stars’ late 15-6 rally.

NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic played the first 5:05 for the World in the opening game before sitting down. The Lakers superstar hadn’t played since Feb. 5 due to a hamstring strain, but he was determined to play after receiving his sixth All-Star nod.

Donovan Mitchell took a pass under the net from James and kicked it out to Fox on the perimeter for the winner.

Jaylen Brown led the Stripes with 11 points, and James scored eight to begin his record 21st All-Star appearance.

Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham scored 11 points apiece for the Stars.

“Old heads 1-0,” James said with a laugh. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have played a lot of basketball, so no matter what’s going on, we know how to keep our composure and execute.”

A few hours beforehand, the top scorer in NBA history said the game’s presence in the Los Angeles area meant “nothing, because this is not our building. This is a road game.”

Indeed, the Clippers fans in Intuit Dome booed James and Doncic whenever they touched the ball in the first two games.

The All-Star weekend stays out West in February 2027 when Phoenix hosts for the fourth time.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

World forward Luka Dončić, of Slovenia, dribbles during the NBA All-Star basketball game against the USA Stars Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Barack Obama talks to commissioner Adam Silver before the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

World center Victor Wembanyama, of France, defends on USA Stars guard Anthony Edwards during the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

World center Victor Wembanyama, of France, shoots over USA Stars guard Devin Booker, left, and forward Jalen Duren during the NBA All-Star basketball game Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)