Harlem’s Apollo Theater performed host to at least one of the numerous celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLK) life and legacy Sunday, at some point earlier than the federal vacation, with dwell talks and leisure performances upon the long-lasting stage.
The seventeenth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration, “MLK–Blueprint for the Culture,” hosted by WNYC and WQXR radio, passed off on Jan. 15 with Dr. King’s historic picture gazing over the auditorium, model new President and CEO of New York Public Radio LaFontaine E. Oliver greeted a sold-out crowd.
“For me, standing here today before you for today’s program, it’s nothing short of a dream come true,” Oliver started. “A blueprint is also a collective document. It’s something that an architect makes in conversation with the people who are going to inhabit whatever is being built, and everyone else who understands the rules, the rituals, geography, the lay of the land, if you will, of where it is going to stand. A blueprint is also by nature unfinished, subject to revision, as obstacles and opportunities emerge, and plans change, sound familiar? The teachings of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are in fact a blueprint and endearing portrait of where we could go, where we should go as a society.”
For the primary time because the pandemic, this in-person commemoration targeted on reflection of the previous and eyes towards a future dedication to justice. The primary hour started with conversations between host Kai Wright and visitor activist and co-founder of Freedom March NYC Chelsea Miller and Dr. Imani Perry, writer and professor at Princeton, the place they spoke about impacting younger folks by way of activism and engagement.
This was then adopted by the second half of this system that includes musical collections, such because the Harlem Chamber Gamers, Dream Launchers, Chauncey Packer and extra.
“This year, we’re shining a light on young people – celebrating a new generation of activists who are the inheritors of Dr. King’s commitment to fighting unjust laws, racism, poverty, and oppression. We’ll also explore the rich musical legacy of the civil rights era through live musical performances. We’re proud to bring new context and layers each year to the ways Dr. King remains ever relevant to our times,” stated Brenda Williams-Butts, Chief Variety Officer at New York Public Radio, and co-founder of WNYC’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. occasion.
