PHILADELPHIA, PA- The Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr., Association for Nonviolence, Inc. will host its 39th annual symbolic Bell Ringing at the Liberty Bell at 5th and Market Streets at noon on Monday, January 20th, the National holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The National Bell Ringers this year will be Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, the Senior Pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, and his wife, Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller. Dr. Ellyn Jo is engaged in civic and humanitarian efforts. She has devoted herself to education and women’s empowerment and champions the fight against human trafficking, domestically and internationally.
Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller, as already mentioned, is Senior Pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. He is also a revivalist, vocalist, lecturer, and social activist. He’s been the senior pastor since 1994, and the church has grown to a membership of over 16,000. Dr. Waller is unapologetically “youth-oriented”. He created the Young Abrahams, a ministry that pairs young boys ages 7-12 with men who assist with academic and social skills and guidance to help them build a firm foundation for the future.
Immediately following the ceremony at the Liberty Bell, the 42nd annual benefits and awards luncheon in honor of Dr. King will unfold at the Philadelphia Downtown.
Throughout the year, the Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Association for Nonviolence, Inc. rolls out public service activities that strive to mirror some of the kinds of work Dr. King did while he lived. Of course, Dr. King was all about civil rights and human rights. He was also about lifting up our youth and speaking up for the downtrodden, the poor, and the disenfranchised. If people were going hungry, Dr. King would have helped. If there were youth who needed to learn about the civil rights movement, he’d teach it to them in a nonviolent, nonconfrontational way.
Joye Nottage, Executive Director of the Philadelphia MLK Association stated, “On Dr. King’s National Holiday, our Founder, Dr. C. Delores Tucker, and the board of directors of the Philadelphia MLK Association made the decision that they wanted to use Dr. King’s National Holiday, to host a sit-down luncheon, where awards are given and individuals who do some of the kinds of work that Dr. King did while he lived, are honored. This luncheon event that we host every year is the one and only fundraiser our organization hosts in a 12-month time frame to help us fuel the programs we operate at different points each year. While we applaud what other organizations do to honor Dr. King, this is what we choose to do.”
Honorees at this year’s awards luncheon will be Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, Dr. Tony Watlington, the Superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools and Reginald Streater, Esq., the President of the Philadelphia Public School Board. Vivian Gary, a retired staff member of the Philadelphia Tribune Newspaper, will also be recognized as the 2025 MLK Volunteer of the Year award recipient.
The Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr., Association for Nonviolence, Inc., was founded initially to develop programs in the Northeast region of the United States. One of its first missions was a major Voter Registration Drive held to commemorate the assassination of Dr. King. It allows community organizations to educate and register people to vote.
The Philadelphia Martin Luther King Jr. Association for Nonviolence, Inc. was founded by the honorable Dr. C. Delores Tucker and a group of local leaders back in 1983. The King Association, a 501 C-3 nonprofit organization, is the only affiliate commissioned by Mrs. Corretta Scott King and the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolence Social Change, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, to promote and perpetuate the nonviolent legacy of Dr. Martin King., Jr.
Over the years, the Association has grown to produce an active, year-round schedule of programs and activities that amplify the teachings and principles espoused by Dr. King. The Association seeks to develop and present related curriculum, extracurricular activities, and informational programs and events within the general community and to develop leadership in working toward the prevention of “nonviolent social change” in all walks of life.
January 20th, as we observe the national holiday for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it will be a time for celebrating his legacy and the legacy of the late Dr. C. Delores Tucker, founder of the local MLK Association, who passed away twenty years ago. A special award named in honor of Dr. Tucker will be bestowed upon Philadelphia’s 100th Mayor, Cherelle L. Parker.
Local and state-level elected officials, civil servants, and other leaders will be on hand for the occasion.
