Theater in the Village of Harlem and WNYC are partnering for the 5th year to present WNYC’s 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration, “50 Years After MLK: A Dream Deferred,” as part of the Apollo’s Uptown Hall series.
WNYC’s Peabody Award-winning host Brian Lehrer and local All Things Considered host Jami Floyd will moderate meaningful conversations examining Dr. King’s legacy and its impact on modern social justice movements.
Through a mix of one-on-one interviews and panel guests including Civil Rights Leader and Former Attorney and Advisor to Dr. King, Dr. Clarence Jones, and today’s prominent female activists such as Women’s March Co-Founder Linda Sarsour, Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors, and Scholar and 2008 Green Party Vice Presidential Candidate Rosa Clemente – “50 Years After MLK: A Dream Deferred” will explore the progress that has been made in the half-century since Dr. King’s untimely death.
In addition, panelists will discuss the evolution and persistence of issues he fought to eliminate, from racial and wage inequality to housing discrimination to police brutality, and will broach the question of what Dr. King’s vision and leadership mean in this time of moral and ethical ambiguity—in effect, what happens to his dream deferred?
WQXR’s Terrance McKnight will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
“We’re thrilled to partner once again with the Apollo Theater to celebrate Dr. King’s life and relevance in such an important anniversary year and at such a crucial moment for our country. It’s a great opportunity to bring the important conversations we convene on air into the community in person,” said Lehrer.
“Fifty years after Dr. King’s assassination, I can think of no better place than Harlem and the Apollo to reflect on his work and mission. Issues of race, justice and the need for unity are front and center again, in our country. My hope is that our conversation will open the door to reconciliation, as we embark on the next 50 years – together,” said Floyd.
“Since its inception, the Apollo Theater has served as a ‘town hall’ for local residents as well as people from all across New York City and as an agent of change for its community. The Apollo is also a kind of organic gathering place for people at historic moments in African-American culture, as when thousands of people flocked to the Theater when Michael Jackson and James Brown passed away.
“Apollo Uptown Hall is a natural extension of that role, and so we are extremely proud to partner with WNYC again this year for their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration particularly as this will mark 50 years since Dr. King’s assassination. It is now more important than ever to address social justice issues that continue to plagued our country,” said Procope, president/CEO of the Apollo Theater.
The event will conclude with a performance Playwright/Producer Vy Higginsen’s Gospel For Teens, the two-time Emmy Award-winning ensemble, a group of teenagers who study and sing the art of Gospel Music in the Village of Harlem.
“50 Years After MLK: A Dream Deferred” is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are mandatory. Please RSVP at https://www.apollotheater.org/event/apollo-uptown-hall-50-years-after-mlk/
