The Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission (GRMLK) was founded in September 1985, by Willis Sprattling and Isaiah Jackson. These leaders served as the Vice President of Public and Community Relations at Xerox Corporation and the Associate Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, respectively.  GRMLK serves as the official body charged with the recognition of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Rochester area. The Commission was organized to celebrate the first national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and has since produced the Annual Martin Luther King Day Community-wide Celebration at the Eastman Theater and the Juneteenth Festival. The Commission aims to host other events to propagate Dr. King's philosophy of Non-Violence, Economic Justice, and Community Empowerment.