Eleven of North Carolina’s Best Places to Live Celebrate MLK Legacy

His message was clear. He spoke of equality – that men and women, regardless of color or creed, are equal members of the human family. He advocated against poverty, violence and segregation. In 1964, Time magazine named him “Man of the Year,” and the same year he was the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He is the only non-president to have a national holiday dedication in his honor. He is Martin Luther King Jr.

Photo courtesy of Duke Yearlook

I find that we often do not reflect on the meaning or impact of these “non-traditional” holidays. Many of us are off from work and the kids are out of school. We view it as a long weekend, a free day off, or a day to clean or run errands. This inspired me to look at areas that really celebrate Dr. King’s honor, and I was pleasantly surprised to find cities across North Carolina have a number of events to commemorate Dr. King.

There are 11 of North Carolina’s Best Places to Live that have parades, breakfasts, vigils and more – all are inspired by MLK’s memory – most in January, but some are in months as late as April. Many of them are free or inexpensive, and events range from the family-fun parade to powerful keynote lectures. For a full list, check out all the MLK events scheduled in North Carolina this year.

Here’s the list of the cities and upcoming events this month. So, before you run errands or lounge around all day, give some thought to getting a history lesson or participating in an event that may lead to something great.

Asheville

Martin Luther King Youth Celebration
Asheville’s 31st Annual Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast

Martin Luther King Peace March & Rally
Martin Luther King Candlelight Service
UNCA Martin Luther King Observance

Chapel Hill

27th Annual University/Community Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Banquet
32nd Annual Martin Luther King Triangle Interfaith Prayer Breakfast
7th Annual Martin Luther King Community Day of Service
Chapel Hill Community Martin Luther King Rally and March
Triangle Martin Luther King Day of Service
Martin Luther King UNC Candle Light Vigil

Charlotte

City of Charlotte Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade
Martin Luther King Legacy Concert with Micah Stampley
18th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2012

Elizabeth City

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Program

Fayetteville

Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast and Day of Service
Fayetteville Martin Luther King Challenge Day of Service

Greensboro

Dreams of a King: The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Celebration Service
Martin Luther King Community Service Day
Annual UNCG Martin Luther King Celebration w/ Elaine Brown
The Green Book Play

Kinston

5th Annual MLK Holiday Celebration in Kinston

Lexington

Annual Martin Luther King Holiday Parade

Selma

Martin Luther King Day of Service

Thomasville

Martin Luther King Peace March
Martin Luther King Oratorial Contest & Awards Dinner
Martin Luther King Holiday Observance

Winston-Salem

27th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration
Martin Luther King Invitational Basketball Tournament
7th Annual Martin Luther King Gospel Fest with Kierra Sheard
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and Keynote by Soledad O’Brien

Keep in mind, we love to hear from you. If you attend an event, or have in the past, feel free to tell us about it below!

Photographing Richland Creek Zipline in Asheboro, NC

Livability Cities Make List of Best Cities for Young Adults

Finding a place to live that suits your current lifestyle while also allowing plenty of room to grow — both professionally and personally — can be challenging. The task can be especially daunting for young adults, as the possibilities may seem endless and overwhelming.

Fortunately, Forbes has narrowed down the best options in their latest list: The 15 Best Cities For Young Adults.

Several Livability cities made the cut, which was based on projected job growth, cost of living, average salaries, number of small and large businesses in the area, unemployment rates and the percentage of college graduates who call the city home.

But don’t worry — these cities aren’t all about “all work, no play.” They all feature plenty of opportunities for fun, such as restaurants, shops, parks and festivals.

Read on to discover more about our cities that made the list!

Little Rock, AR

Population: 189,877

Median household income: $46,057

Greenville, SC

Population: 60,099

Median household income: $37,768

Minneapolis, NM

Population: 375,812

Median household income: $42,205

Colorado Springs, CO

Population: 406,307

Median household income: $55,802

Portland, ME

Population: 65,701

Median household income: $42,148

Omaha, NE

Population: 420,762

Median household income: $49,303

Madison, WI

Population: 235,361

Median household income: $52,097

West Des Moines, IA

Population: 58,284

Median household income: $70,398

Four of the Safest Cities in the U.S.

I blame all the action movies I saw growing up. It also might be the endless stream of news stories about heinous crimes that I watch and read every day. Whatever the reason I’ve become somewhat of a security nut, fearing a home invasion, burglary or kidnapping. Every night I check to make sure the cars, doors and windows are all locked up tight. I keep a baseball bat under my bed and have actually practiced rolling to the floor and grabbing it, ready to swing at any would-be intruder. There’s a reason our dog sleeps in the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. She’s our second line of defense.

I just want to feel safe, and even though my wife rolls her eyes when I dust off the bat, I believe safety is the top factor when picking out a place to live. Who would willingly purchase a home in an area of town that doesn’t seem safe? We live in neighborhood that doesn’t see a lot of crime, but that doesn’t stop my mind from going to dark places.

Paranoid people like me need all the help we can get. The reassurance that a city is safe can go a long way. With that in mind I offer a look at four of the safest cities in the country. These places ranked among the highest in a new list from CQ Press, that used data from the latest F.B.I. Crime in the United States report.

Fishers, IN

Overall Rank: 1 (90 points below the national average)

Population: 75,734

Violent Crimes in 2010: 18

O’Fallon, MO

Overall Rank: 2

Population: 81,851

Violent Crimes in 2010: 72

Newton, MA

Overall Rank: 5

Population: 83.781

Violent Crimes in 2010: 86

Irvine, CA

Overall Rank: 6

Population: 217,193

Violent Crimes in 2010: 120

Ten (More) Cities For Keeping 2012 Resolutions

Be sure to check out our new list of Top 10 Best Cities for Keeping New Year's Resolutions (click this photo). In the meantime, here are a few (much more subjective) picks.

If you missed it late last week, we at Livability.com released our latest list, Top 10 Cities for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions. Yep, you can click that link to check it out.

To come up with this list of all-around good places for keeping resolutions, we used a combination of commonly held New Year’s goals and compared them against to various quality of life factors within our 500 Livability.com cities. You can read about that in more detail on the list. With that, we ranked the cities based on the quantity of resolutions you’d have a greater chance of keeping in each.

That’s a more formal methodology than I what I used for this post, but it served as inspiration. The list made me wonder: “If I was personally super serious about particular resolutions – enough to move somewhere to better ensure my success – where would I go, and why?”

I stopped making resolutions a long time ago, mainly because I have found that it’s good to set incremental goals throughout the year instead of getting overwhelmed with too many things all at once.

Nonetheless, here’s my (completely hypothetical and subjective) list, based on Livability.com cities I’ve visited or studied over the years and cool things they have going on in each.

My Hypothetical Resolution: Stick to a Running Routine
Most Likely To Happen In: Eugene, OR
Why? The various running trails in Track Town U.S.A. are well planned, extensive, well maintained and offer pleasant sightseeing. Plus, it’s hard not to be inspired in the former stomping (running?) grounds of Steve Prefontaine and the birthplace of Nike.

Hypothetical Resolution: Learn to Grow Food
Most Likely To Happen In: Abingdon, VA
Why? Barbara Kingsolver and her family shared stories of how they lived off the land near Abingdon in the book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, released in 2007. It would be nice to have this kind of a roadmap, a local resource should my efforts go awry and a great farmers market if my efforts were successful.

Hypothetical Resolution: Network More With Other Young Professionals
Most Likely To Happen In: Wichita, KS
Why? At just 7 years old and 2,000+ members strong, the Young Professionals of Wichita group seems to be a great starting point for this particular resolution.

Hypothetical Resolution: Create Art
Most Likely To Happen In: San Angelo, TX
Why?  There’s an element of quirk throughout this town, that when combined with a super-laid-back Texas attitude strikes me as a perfect mix for getting into a creative, low-pressure, productive groove. Perhaps that’s why places like the Old Chicken Farm Art Center are so cool and the National Ceramic Competition is such a success. Read more about San Angelo’s arts scene.

Hypothetical Resolution: Go Back to School
Most Likely To Happen In: Charlottesville, VA
Why? In 13 years, I only once have experienced a strong desire to go back to school and build upon my journalism degree, which was when standing on the front steps of The Rotunda looking out on Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village at the University of Virginia one fall day. It was absolutely beautiful, and I was filled with an even greater sense of history and reverence than when visiting Monticello.

Hypothetical Resolution: Slow Down, Meditate
Most Likely To Happen In: Longview, WA
Why? Longview has some peaceful spots itself (Lake Sacajawea, for example), but it is also surrounded by some others I’ve considered visual and peaceful standouts, such as the Oregon overlook providing views of the Lewis & Clark Bridge, the latter built by Joseph B. Strauss before he built San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Then there’s Cedar Creek Grist Mill down in Woodland, and the winding, spectacularly scenic roads leading to Mount St. Helens over in Skamania County.

Hypothetical Resolution: Write a Book
Most Likely To Happen In: Asheville, NC
Why? Asheville has a longstanding status as a source of creative inspiration and as a lively literary scene. Asheville was home to such writers as O. Henry and Thomas Wolfe and hosted F. Scott Fitzgerald for extended stays in 1935-1937.

Hypothetical Resolution: Volunteer More
Most Likely To Happen In: Tupelo, MS
Why? Something that truly stood out about Tupelo when working on their magazine for 2012 is the community’s spirit of volunteerism. There are lots of opportunities to give back and get involved, and being surrounded by many likeminded folks surely makes philanthropy fun down in the Birthplace of Elvis Presley.

Hypothetical Resolution: Invent Something
Most Likely To Happen In: McAllen, TX
Why? The McAllen Chamber of Commerce has an awesome program called the  Inventors & Entrepreneurship Network and also awards annual innovation grants. With a support system like that, there’s little left to do but drum up that great idea and outline your plan to make it real.

Hypothetical Resolution: Get More Involved in Civics
Most Likely To Happen In: Decatur, AL
Why? This selection is purely personal because it is my hometown, not because I necessarily feel that Decatur is aching for more community participation than any other city. My point is that folks should consider bringing good ideas to the table for any town in which they have particular interest. Truthfully, I wasn’t wild about Decatur when growing up there, mainly because it didn’t seem big enough. Now that I am older, value slightly different things and have seen more places – including cities of similar size but with relatively more innovative programs and amenities – sometimes I think it would be fun to see some of those cool things become reality back in my own hometown. I also see more of what the city already has going for it.

I’m not ready to go back “home,” but that line of thinking does reinforce that if you can’t just up and move, consider what you can do to improve your current place. Check out the examples I’ve listed above for inspiration and dig around a bit on Livability.com for more!