Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at The Brooklyn Academy Music + A Walking Tour

PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO ATTEND!

RSVP's open up Monday, January 12th at 8:00pm. Space is set aside for new members, first and second timers who land on the waiting list. Email me at hankorenstein@gmail.com to request a spot. The event is free with an optional donation at the end after the walking tour portion.

Be sure to also RSVP to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The event could get all booked up if you wait as there is free admission and is very popular. If you have a guest instruct them to RSVP separately using ths link below. RSVP does not guarantee entry per BAM.
The last time I offered this tour everyone got in.
RSVP link:
**https://www.bam.org/mlk40**
"Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8am on Monday, January 19 in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House lobby. Please note that an RSVP does not guarantee entry.

To bring: Snacks and water to drink if you like.

Description: Join us for this unique 2-part event where we first attend the 40th Annual Brooklyn Academy of Music's approximately 2 hour program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Afterwards we'll walk across downtown Brooklyn to the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn Heights where on February 10th, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech called “The American Dream.”

Significance: This sermon served as a rehearsal for King's "I Have a Dream" speech, with themes of brotherhood, justice, and America's destiny for freedom. Church History: Plymouth Church was a center for abolitionist activity and a stop on the Underground Railroad, attracting King due to its deep roots in human rights advocacy.

Abraham Lincoln visited this historic church on two occasions and the congregation was very much involved in the anti-slavery movement. En route to the church we'll visit several sites of the Underground Railroad which some historians describe as the first Civil Rights Movement.

Itinerary and instructions:

10:00am - Arrive early (or earlier) to ensure getting a decent seat. This will be a very popular event! Note you attend this first part on your own.
10:30am - 12:30pm: Brooklyn Academy of Music. Directions: https://www.bam.org/visit#/Peter-Jay-Sharp-Building

Note the event is free but you must register in advance: You will find the RSVP link here:
https://www.bam.org/mlk40

Program at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
This inspiring annual celebration is back for the 40th year and features powerful remarks by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II; a special solo performance from Grace by Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, A Dance Company; a musical performance by The Fire Ensemble; and more. Link arms with friends, neighbors, artists, and civic leaders for a day of reflection, family-friendly activities, and celebration of all who carry Dr. King’s vision of justice and equality forward.

12:30pm (or whenever the event ends), meet at the small triangular Betty Carter Park which is cater corner from BAM (between St. Felix Street and Fort Greene Place and between Lafayette Ave. and Fulton Street).

12:45pm - 2:30pm: Guided walking tour through parts of the Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights neighborhoods. Feel free to bring snacks, food to eat on the way and water to drink.

Tour formally ends at The Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims. Convenient to the 2,3,4,5 A and R subways and a short walk to DUMBO.

Note that the program at the Brooklyn Academy of Music will be livestreamed for those not able to attend.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Your organizer and guide,

Hank Orenstein
hankorenstein@gmail.com
646-596-3005

(photo of the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. King courtesy of wikimedia commons/fair use/public domain).