By: Richard L. Smith
A large coalition of civil rights, labor, faith-based and community organizations will gather in Newark later this month for the Martin Luther King March of Resistance, a major demonstration planned for Monday, January 19, 2026.
The march will begin at noon at the Martin Luther King Jr. Statue, located at 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and is being organized by the People’s Organization for Progress (POP).
Organizers say the event has already been endorsed by more than 210 grassroots, civic, labor, religious and social justice groups.
POP Chairman Lawrence Hamm said support for the march has grown rapidly over the past week.
“A week ago our march had 125 endorsers. A week later we have more than 200. This is encouraging and indicative of people’s desire to fight back,” Hamm said.
The demonstration is expected to highlight a wide range of issues, including racial and economic inequality, voting rights, immigration enforcement, and U.S. foreign policy.
Organizers say the march is intended to reflect Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to justice, peace and civil rights while opposing policies they believe conflict with those ideals.
Hamm said the march is meant to send a strong message about the direction of the country.
“The purpose of the march is to demonstrate our commitment to the goals and ideals of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, and our opposition to the racist, fascist, unjust and undemocratic policies of the Trump administration at home and abroad,” he said.
The event will begin with a rally at the King statue before participants march to the Federal Building at 970 Broad Street and then return to the statue for a closing rally.
Speakers will include representatives from many of the organizations supporting the march, who are expected to address political, economic and social justice issues.
Deborah Smith Gregory, president of the NAACP Newark Branch, said the organization stands in support of the march and the coalition behind it.
“By marching, we are taking a stand,” Gregory said.
Organizers say the march is designed to reflect the diversity of people affected by the issues being raised.
Amanda Birnbaum, a member of the planning committee, said the demonstration is meant to give visibility to a broad coalition of voices.
“This march is a way to create visual evidence of the breadth and diversity of our coalition,” she said.
The People’s Organization for Progress has been active in Newark for more than four decades and has held Martin Luther King Day observances and marches for decades as part of its work advocating for racial, social and economic justice.
Additional organizations are being invited to join the coalition.
Groups interested in endorsing the march can contact POP at 973-801-0001.