In the greatest city in the world there are many ways to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest civil rights leaders. In New York today, a day established as a federal holiday in 1986, and this week, choose your celebration:
Soundtrack for a Revolution: Soundtrack for a Revolution, executive produced by Danny Glover, tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music: freedom songs sung on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells by black and white Americans all over the country. Featuring performances by John Legend, Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, The Roots, Ritchie Havens, and others, along with riveting archival footage, and interviews with civil rights foot soldiers and leaders, including Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, and Ambassador Andrew Young, Soundtrack for a Revolution celebrates the vitality of the music of the era. 1:00pm. BAM Rose Cinemas.
24th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Brooklyn Academy of Music. BAM, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York present New York City’s largest public celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year, BAM welcomes keynote speaker Danny Glover, the acclaimed actor, director, producer, and humanitarian. BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. 10:30am.
Picture the Dream: Presented in collaboration with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), BAM presents Picture the Dream, a community art exhibition featuring collages by Brooklyn New York Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents 13 & under. BAM Cafe.
Artists Celebrate Martin Luther King. An annual presentation of powerful work by artists whose vision coincides with Dr. King’s voice for justice, peace and civil rights. The event features a lineup of visionary performers, including Grammy-award winning artists the Klezmatics, innovative composer/violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain who melds his classical music roots with his own cultural references, and hip-hop artist Lemon Anderson , a staple at HBO’s Def Poetry. Jr. Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre. 2537 Broadway @95th St. 6:30pm. Free.
New York Voices of the Civil Rights Movement – In celebration of Martin Luther King Day, NYC Media and the Commission on Human Rights will present a special screening at the Apollo Theater on Thursday, January 14th. The agencies will present a special, advanced screening of FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE: NEW YORK VOICES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, followed by a panel discussion featuring activists and scholars. The Apollo Theater. 253 W. 125th St. (bet. 7&8 Ave.). Free.
Fifth Annual MLK Week at NYU. January 18-23, 2010. New York University announces the theme for this week of Celebration: “Who Will you Inspire To Dream?” On February 10, 1961, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech on the campus of New York University that advocated for civil rights and championed nonviolent protest for social change. For the fifth-consecutive year, the University will commemorate Dr. King’s visit and his legacy by hosting a weeklong schedule of special events and programs. This year’s theme is intended to remind us of the spirit of Dr. King’s message as well as to encourage our community to reflect on his message and how it reverberates today. See the full calendar here, but here are some events to make note of are:
MONDAY: Uncovering the Dream Act. The Multicultural Greek Council is proud to present our first event of the semester: “Uncovering the DREAM Act,” which will take place on Monday, January 18th at 5:30 PM in Room 206 at the NYU School of Law building. The purpose of our event is to educate the community of the details, the pros, and the cons of the DREAM Act (Development of Relief and Education for Alien Minors). Our event features a panel discussion of the event with guests: NYU Steinhardt professor Dr. Pedro Noguera, NYU Steinhardt professor Dr. Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco, NYU CMEP Director Richard Chavolla, and Rutgers University student and DREAM Act Activist Karla Panchana. 5:30-7:30pm.
TUESDAY: Inspiration in Public Service: Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s Vision. Last year’s BSA MLK event focused on the connection between MLK’s vision and President Obama’s vision for the United States and what we can do as students of public service to carry on this vision. This year, given the theme, BSA hopes to share stories of inspiration from people working in the area of social justice/reform with Wagner students. NYU will have speakers in the field speak about what inspired them in connection to MLK’s vision for our country. We will then break into discussion groups to reflect on MLK’s vision and speak about what inspires us as students of public service and how they hope to inspire others through their work. BSA will also award our speakers with the first annual Black Student Alliance MLK Service Award. The purpose of the MLK event is to celebrate the MLK’s vision and reflect on what inspires work in public service. Rudin Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Puck Building. 6-8pm.
THURSDAY: FEATURED EVENT–“Who Will You Inspire to Dream?” The week’s featured event will honor the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., featuring President John Sexton, 2010 MLK Humanitarian Awardee Howard Zinn, Harry Belafonte, student performances and more! Kimmel Center. E&L Auditorium. 7:00pm.
