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Austin’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration began in 1983, and was planned and sponsored by the Texas Union African-American Culture Committee (AACC), University of Texas at Austin. In 1993, AACC joined with Huston-Tillotson University and in 1994, the two colleges worked with community-based service organizations giving birth to the first City-Wide MLK Celebration.

In June of 1995, the Austin Area Heritage Council was officially formed to oversee planning of Austin’s annual Martin Luther King Day celebrations. To create a more inclusive and family atmosphere, the Heritage Council reached out to non-African American-based organizations to participate and adopted the new title of “MLK Community Celebration.”

The mission of the Austin Area Heritage Council is to encourage interest in all cultures represented in Austin and to celebrate the rich history of Austin. The Heritage Council promotes understanding and respect among all people by creating and supporting multicultural activities as well as highlighting the achievements and talents of all members of the community regardless of race or religion. There are currently 11 members on the Heritage Council Board of Directors.