BAM Announces 2022 MLK Celebration In-Person and Virtual Offerings
The Tribute features local and national civic leaders, a keynote speech by Dr. Imani Perry, and more.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 10, 2022
BAM will host a series of events on Monday, January 17, 2022, in celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Anchoring the celebration is the 36th annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which will take place in the Howard Gilman Opera House (Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave) and also be available via livestream at 10:30am. The Tribute features local and national civic leaders, a keynote speech by Dr. Imani Perry, musical performances by Nona Hendryx with Craig Harris & Tailgaters Tales and Sing Harlem, and a special dance video tribute by dancer Kyle Marshall. Additional free programs and events include the newly announced virtual BAMkids workshop- Heroes of Color HQ celebrating underrepresented historical figures (accessible throughout the day at BAM.org); a screening of Stanley Nelson's groundbreaking documentary Attica at BAM Rose Cinemas at 1pm; and a community performance of Reggie Wilson's POWER at the Harvey Theater at 3pm. BAM's celebration of Dr. King will also include a digital billboard-based group exhibition-"Salvation: A State of Being"-featuring work by seven Black visual artists that draws inspiration from the late trailblazing Black feminist, social critic, and author bell hooks (January 14-21).
BAM Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2022 Programs and Events
Visual Art: "Salvation: A State of Being"
Artwork by Adama Delphine Fawundu, Genevieve Gaignard, Jamel Shabazz, Frank Stewart, Roscoè B. Thické III, Deborah Willis, and Joshua Woods (bios and artists statements here)
Curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah
The BAM signage screen (corner of Flatbush Ave & Lafayette Ave.)
Jan 14-21, 2022
Run time: Looped continuously
FREE
"Salvation: A State of Being" is a public art group exhibition exploring Black artistry as a form of visual activism against the dehumanization of Black people and as a means to expand and challenge Black imagination. The digital billboard-based exhibition includes selected works by seven Black visionary photographers- Adama Delphine Fawundu, Genevieve Gaignard, Jamel Shabazz, Frank Stewart, Roscoè B. Thické III, Deborah Willis, and Joshua Woods. Spearheaded by BAM Guest Curator-at-Large Larry Ossei-Mensah the project aims to spark civic discourse in Brooklyn around Dr. King's legacy and encourage viewers to reflect on the questions: What is Love? What is next in the journey towards liberation? When curating the exhibition, Ossei-Mensah was inspired by the words of iconic feminist and author bell hooks, "Love does not bring an end to difficulties, it gives us the strength to cope with difficulties in a constructive way" (Salvation: Black People and Love).
"Salvation: A State of Being" is a follow-up to Ossei-Mensah's 2021 acclaimed tribute "Let Freedom Ring". The New York Times described the meditation on freedom as "a dream to show what freedom looks like when it undergirds the lives of Black and Latino people." The digital billboard series aims to connect the community with larger cultural dialogues. Visit BAM.org for more information.
Keynote Address: 2022 Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Imani Perry, Nona Hendryx with Craig Harris & Tailgaters Tales, Sing Harlem, and more
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave.) and livestream on BAM.org
Jan 17, 2022 at 10:30am
FREE
BAM will host the 36th annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, presented by BAM and The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. The celebration brings together artists and civic leaders to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King. Returning indoors and with a livestream component, the inspirational program features a keynote address by critically-acclaimed author and cultural historian Dr. Imani Perry, performances by Afrofuturist funk-rock icon Nona Hendryx with composer-trombonist Craig Harris & Tailgaters Tales, Vy Higgensen's award-winning Sing Harlem choir, and a recorded dance performance by acclaimed dancer and choreographer Kyle Marshall to the powerful oratory of Dr. King's final speech "I've Been to the Mountaintop."
Seating is available on a first-come, first-seated basis. All guests and staff must present proof of vaccination, and a matching government-issued ID. Masks must be worn at all times. For further information, please call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 or visit BAM.org.
For media access to the event, please contact Cynthia Tate at ctate@BAM.org.
BAMkids: Heroes of Color HQ
Jan 17, 2022 ongoing throughout the day
Ages 5-11
FREE
Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy and learn about underrepresented historical figures, including -artists, scientists, and activists. Kids are invited to create their own heroes at home through a virtual workshop, videos, and activities based on David Heredia's Heroes of Color web series and books. Participants will create their own publications using The Oregonian "how to create a zine" as a resource. The digital program also offers a unique collection from the BAM Hamm Archives that showcases influential Black artists and speakers who have graced BAM stages in the past, including Baba Chuck Davis, Marian Anderson, Frederick Douglas, Langston Hughes, Martha Redbone, and more. Visit BAM.org for more information. (High Res Press Images Here)
Film: Attica (2021)
Directed by Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry
BAM Rose Cinemas located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building (30 Lafayette Ave.)
Jan 17, 2022 at 1pm
FREE
Survivors, observers, and expert government officials recount the 1971 uprising at the Attica Correctional Facility. The violent five-day standoff between mostly Black and Latino inmates and law enforcement gripped America then and highlights the urgent, ongoing need for reform 50 years later. (120min). (High Res Press Images Here)
Seating is available on a first-come, first-seated basis. All guests and staff must present proof of vaccination, and a matching government-issued ID. Masks must be worn at all times. For further information, please call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 or visit BAM.org.
Dance: POWER
Fist & Heel Performance Group
Choreography by Reggie Wilson
Costume design by Naoko Nagata and Enver Chakartash
Lighting design by Jonathan Belcher
Harvey Theater at BAM Strong (651 Fulton St.)
Jan 17, 2022, at 3pm
FREE
As BAM honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reggie Wilson brings his Fist & Heel Performance Group home to Brooklyn for a special community presentation of POWER, a revelatory performance of "moving into spirit." In this kinesthetic, propulsive, rhythmic experience connecting American Black and Shaker traditions, Wilson explores the body as a radical tool for illuminating the internal and communal. Wilson imagines the mutual Black-Shaker influence as shaping experimental 19th-century American dance worship. Channeling the refusal of Anglo- Judeo-Christian limitations on the body, Fist & Heel makes that utopian energy manifest, whirling, stamping, and singing it alive.
RSVP at BAM.org. RSVP does not guarantee entry. Given limited capacity, access is on a first-come, first-seated basis. All guests and staff must present proof of vaccination, and a matching government-isssued ID. Masks must be worn at all times. For further information, please call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 or visit.
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