The “Songstress of Springfield,” Vanessa Ford, sings “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song known as the African American national anthem, at the 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.
Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield’s 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration was filled with song, remarks by elected officials and the words of the city’s schoolchildren, all celebrating accomplishments while acknowledging how far the United States has yet to go.
The theme of this year’s celebration was “Restoring Justice: Reclaiming the Dream.” Springfield Schools Superintendent Sonia Dinnall said children are “the carrier of the dream.”
True to her roots as an educator, Dinnall said, “Reclaiming is a verb. It is an action word.” She continued, “It takes the collective efforts of each and every one of us in this room today to do our part to reclaim the dream. And guess what? I dream without action is merely a fantasy.”
Students from the Community Music School of Springfield and Children’s Chorus of Springfield perform.Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen 
Tracye Whitfield, Springfield’s first Black woman City Council president, speaks at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen 
Artist Frankie Borrero works on a painting at a booth at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen 
A booth for the Executive Office of Veterans Services is set up next to a booth selling T-shirts. Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen 
Someone adds a photo to an oversized piece of artwork with the message, “Justice looks like me.” Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen 
Schoolchildren stare at a video of Martin Luther King Jr. Giving a speech. Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen 
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at the Springfield Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen 
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, flanked by City Council President Tracye Whitfield and State Rep. Orlando Ramos, speaks to the crowd on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen
Speaking of King, Mayor Domenic Sarno said his principles are universal, but that the laws that came from King’s work and the Civil Rights Movement, namely the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act, “are now all under siege.” He said, “It is up to us, each and every one of you, in what you do every day to continue to carry on the legacy of Dr. King.”
Echoing Sarno, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said, “The hard-won gains of the Civil Rights Movement are being stripped away.” Pointing to Dinnall and City Council President Tracye Whitfield, both the first Black women to serve in their respective roles, Driscoll said, “Representation changes outcomes.”
Reflecting on civil rights leaders, Whitfield said, “I’m standing here today because of the work they did on voting rights.” She said King believed change starts with everyday people and so the job of children is “being kind when it’s hard” and “standing up when something’s wrong.”
State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez fired up the crowd. He challenged them to think of the world in 10 years’ time and asking what they would be able to tell the children of today that they did to make their voices heard. He said Springfield is a “great” city because the mayor and other leaders are the children of immigrants. “That’s the American Dream,” the Springfield Democrat said. “America is a great country where we all rise to the top.”
The program included music from the children from Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence, the Community Music School of Springfield and Children’s Chorus of Springfield. The Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence Steppers also performed. Youth from Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services’ King’s Kids program read letters to King, while those from Parent’s Village read poems. Mah’dee Naylor Jr. finished his poem, saying, “The dream was never meant to be framed. It was meant to be lived, defended and reclaimed.”
