Brooklyn Academy of Music honors Martin Luther King Jr.’s 88th birthday
Speakers Declare Looming Trump Inauguration Makes Dr King’s Message More Timely Than Ever Before
“We’ve been deputized by history,” said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio as he stood at the podium of Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House. “We gather at a moment when we’re all feeling so much.”
The moment was Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) 31st celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, what would have been the day after the civil rights leader’s 88th birthday. Billed as “New York City’s largest Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration,” the morning opened with gospel-themed songs and a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by BAM’s own Institutional Radio Choir.
BAM President Katy Clark started her remarks by reminding the audience of the day’s significance: “Each year this celebration provides us with the opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s struggle for human rights and equality.”
Inevitably, the event was overshadowed by the results of the recent presidential election and impending inauguration. “We cannot help but consider recent events in the context of Dr. King’s message. The future will require our vigilance and renewed efforts to protect the hard-earned rights that exist for us all,” Clark continued on.