Despite extreme weather, MLK Jr. Day celebrated across nation

Prayer services, parades, and acts of service: These are the many ways communities around the country are celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. "Dr. King would be the first to say: Though we have come far, we still have far to go. In this moment, it is up to us to fight," said Vice President Kamala Harris during her keynote address at the NAACP's "King Day at the Dome" event in South Carolina.

The event highlighted issues of gun violence, book bans, voting rights and reproductive freedom. "The great Coretta Scott King once said: 'Freedom is never truly won. You earn it and win it in every generation.' At this moment in history, I say: Let us not throw up our hands. Instead, let us roll up our sleeves.

We were born for a time such as this," VIce President Harris continued. In Philadelphia, for the third year in a row, President Joe Biden spent the day volunteering with the hunger relief organization Philabundance. In Washington D.C., many gathered with King's son Martin Luther King III and his family for an annual wreath laying event at the activist's memorial.

As services for Martin Luther King Jr. Day continue, others are canceling their in person events due to extreme weather challenges. The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is holding a virtual celebration in honor of what would be King's 95th birthday. SEE MORE: War in Gaza, US election are impacting events planned for MLK holiday Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com.