Government shutdown affecting MLK celebrations across the country

While the Twin Cities may be chock full of events to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the partial government shutdown is affecting observance plans across the country.

All government-funded parks, museums and landmarks nationwide have been closed since the shutdown began on Dec. 22 as border wall funding remains a major fight in Washington, D.C.

Now in its fourth week, many who planned to visit King’s birth home in Atlanta or pay homage at his memorial monument in Washington, DC will have to find alternatives if the shutdown is not over soon.

Here is a list of sites that will remain closed until the shutdown ends.

Here is a list of sites that will remain closed until the shutdown ends.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC
• The Tuskegee Institute and Tuskegee Airmen national historic sites in Tuskegee, Al.
• Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta — King’s birth home and the site of the Ebenezer Baptist Church where he pastored for eight years
• The Selma and Lowndes County interpretative centers along the Selma to Montgomery National Historical Trail

There’s good news, though: Sites like The King Center in Atlanta are hosting a series of events in Atlanta in observance of the holiday. And, of course, you can check out our MLK Community Calendar for happenings throughout the state to honor the civil rights icon.