Madam Walker Legacy Center to host 44th annual MLK Day celebration in Indianapolis on January 19
Keynote program scheduled for Monday evening at the historic Walker Theatre
The Madam Walker Legacy Center will host its 44th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Monday, January 19, 2026, with an evening program scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Walker Theatre, 617 Indiana Avenue in Indianapolis. Event information released by organizers indicates seating is first-come, first-served and not guaranteed, with early arrival recommended.
Event listings for the 2026 observance identify Bakari Sellers as the distinguished speaker. The program is part of a broader slate of community observances across Indianapolis that mark the federal holiday honoring King’s life and legacy.
Who is speaking and what the event is designed to do
Sellers is a political commentator, author and attorney who has also been described in event materials as a civil rights advocate. Organizers have positioned the program as an annual community gathering focused on reflection and civic engagement themes commonly associated with MLK Day.
While full run-of-show details were not consistently published across listings, multiple event calendars identify the Walker Theatre venue and the 7 p.m. start time as the central public program for the center’s 44th annual celebration.
Daytime youth service event also planned at the center
In addition to the evening ceremony, a youth-focused service event is scheduled at the Madam Walker Legacy Center on January 19. The service program is set for 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is designed for children ages 2 to 12, with hands-on stations intended to connect service activities to King’s message of community action.
Date: Monday, January 19, 2026
Youth service hours: 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
Evening celebration: 7 p.m.
Location: Madam Walker Legacy Center / Walker Theatre, 617 Indiana Avenue
Why the Walker Theatre remains a focal point for civic commemorations
The MLK Day program is being held in a building with longstanding ties to Indianapolis’ Black cultural and business history. The Walker Building opened in December 1927 and served as the headquarters for the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company, alongside entertainment and community spaces that became central to Indiana Avenue’s historic cultural corridor. The site later became known as the Madam Walker Theatre Center and now operates as the Madam Walker Legacy Center.
The annual MLK Day celebration at the Walker Theatre has become one of the city’s recurring public observances linking historic place, civic remembrance and community programming.
Organizers have not indicated a ticketed price for the MLK Day celebration in widely circulated event listings, but the guidance on capacity and seating suggests attendance may be limited by venue space.