Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. in NYC on Sunday and Monday at one or more of these five FREE events, and more:
Sunday, Jan. 18:
Freedom Concert at Cathedral of St. John the Divine: Special Choral Eucharist led by minister and social activist The Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, followed by a Spiritual Sing with Alice Parker and a special Freedom Concert. This Freedom Concert is modeled after the many performances presented by the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King throughout her leadership in the Civil Rights movement. There is a suggested contribution of $20.
Hear our Voices, Count our Votes: The ninth annual celebration of the civil rights leader at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater is FREE, and this year includes a conversation with Rita L. Bender, widow of New Yorker Michael Schwerner, one of the three civil rights activists murdered in Mississippi in 1964. The event also celebrates civil rights activist and actress Ruby Dee, and civil rights activist and poet Maya Angelou, both of whom died in 2014. Event begins at 3pm, but online registration is closed, so take your chances on the standby line. Event website.
Monday, Jan. 19
Selma: See the Oscar-nominated film FREE at Abyssinian Baptist Church, followed by a Q&A with attorney Ted Wells Jr. after the screening. Doors open at 9:30am. There are no reserved seats. Event website.
National Parks free admission day: Visit the Statue of Liberty, the NYC birthplace of President Theodore Roosevelt, Grant’s Tomb, or any other park or historic site in the National Park Service system free today, one of a dozen free admission days in 2015. Find the full list here.
What’s Your Dream: A special family-friendly program exploring the connection between the Jewish immigrant experience and the civil rights movement, in a world where both Jews and African-Americans were held back and discriminated against. At the 1887 landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue, now the Museum at Eldridge Street. FREE, but reservations are recommended to ensure space.
Come Share the Dream: BAM’s 29th annual tribute includes a performance by the New York Fellowship Mass Coir andDr. Cornel West, author of Race Matters, speaking on race, gender and class in America. FREE. There are no reservations. Tickets will be distributed, first come first served, starting at 8am for the 10:30am start. Event website
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.