This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 17, Brooklyn Academy of Music is holding its 36th annual tribute to King with a series of free in person and online events celebrating his life and legacy.
The organization says this year’s tribute encourages the community to continue in Dr. King’s radical spirit: "relentlessly pressing forward in pursuit of justice — even against the odds — and celebrating the strength and power of community to create change."
The tribute, which kicks off at 10:30am at Howard Gilman Opera House, features local and national civic leaders, a keynote speech by Dr. Imani Perry, musical performances by Nona Hendryx with Craig Harris & Tailgaters Tales and Sing Harlem, and a special dance video tribute by dancer Kyle Marshall. And if you aren't able to venture to BAM, the event is available by livestream.
BAMkids will also hold a virtual workshop, Heroes of Color HQ, celebrating underrepresented historical figures and there will be a screening of Stanley Nelson’s documentary Attica at BAM Rose Cinemas at 1:00pm. The day will also feature a community performance of Reggie Wilson’s POWER at the Harvey Theater at 3:00pm.
From Jan. 14-21, a digital billboard-based group exhibition, “Salvation: A State of Being,” featuring work by seven Black visual artists celebrating King and drawing inspiration from the late trailblazing Black feminist, social critic, and author bell hooks will be on display at BAM.
Proof of vaccination is required and RSVP is recommended for reminders and direct access to the livestream. Alternatively, the link to the livestream will be made available on BAM.org on Monday, Jan 17.
For the in-person event, admission is first-come, first-served, and RSVP-ing does not guarantee entry. For the in-person event, the lobby will open at approximately 8:00am and tickets will be provided by BAM ushers after passing through the vaccination security check.
For more information on the day, visit BAM’s website here.
