Looking at Dr. King’s legacy
FunTimes Magazine Culture + Entertainment column, week of January 13, 2025.
“Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness because greatness is determined by service.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that the biggest question in life is “What are you doing to help others?” More than a half-century later, we are still asking that enduring question. To that end, there are many in the community carrying out Dr. King’s time-honored dream. January abounds with hands-on activities focusing on Dr. King’s impassioned call and commitment to service on and near his birthday. Dr. King would have been 96 years old this year. Attend a tribute concert or lecture, clean up a neighborhood, read to a child, or prepare or deliver a meal for the underserved. In its 30th year, the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service leads the way with a robust schedule of community projects: community volunteer events. Enjoy these events here observing Dr. King’s legacy. But don’t forget: When event-going, take precautions, especially when among groups and while indoors, with the risk of COVID-19 variants and other infectious health concerns.
Honoring The Work Of The Wordsmith
Wednesday, January 15 & Thursday, January 16, 2025. Choose from the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or create your own inspired prose, speech, or written presentation to recite/perform publically to observe Dr. King’s holiday. Readers Theater: Spotlight on MLK Day will highlight the ever-lasting oral and written work of Dr. King and his contributions to the civil rights movement. Free but pre-register to attend or to make a presentation; 3:45 p.m. EST. West Oak Lane Library, 2000 E. Washington Ln. (74th Ave & Washington Lane). 215-685-2843 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/146125.
King Remembered
Friday, January 17 to Monday, January 20, 2025. A perfect way to spend the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday is at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, a treasure trove preserving Black history. In honor of Dr. King, the museum will host the MLK 2025 Celebration, four days of musical performances, discussions, family activities, and exhibits. Reduced admission all weekend, and free on King’s birthday Monday, January 20, from 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St. 215-574-0380 or aampmuseum.org.
Re-enactor Katelyn E. Appiah-Kubi as Elizabeth Freeman
The Revolutionary Spirit of Dr. King
Saturday, January 18 to Monday, January 20, 2025. Pay tribute to the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at MLK Weekend at the Museum of the American Revolution in historic Philadelphia. The Museum of the American Revolution, the first museum dedicated to the U.S. War of Independence, examines Dr. King and his freedom-fighting legacy connected to the American Revolution. Enjoy themed activities, gallery talks, and performances by history interpreters. Check out First-Person Performance: Meet Elizabeth Freeman, Watch a theatrical performance featuring Katelyn E. Appiah-Kubi, depicting the life of the enslaved Freeman, known as Mumbet (1744-1829), who successfully sued for her emancipation (Alan B. Miller Theater, daily, 1:15 p.m. EST & 3:15 p.m. EST). Experience Revolution Place which chronicles the nearby Colonial-era Old City neighborhood in the 1700s re-created through a military encampment, a tavern, a home, and an 18th-century meeting house. Enjoy the poetry of the first known-published African-American poet, Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) (Lower level, daily, 11 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST). See the display, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Promises of the American Revolution, featuring the words from Dr. King’s speeches and writings, which “powerfully invoked the words and messages of the American Revolution in his calls for civil and economic rights…” Learn about the weight of his words in speeches such as the 1963 “I Have Dream” speech presented in the March on Washington, D.C. $23, adults, $13; for youth 6 to 17 (kids 5 and under, free); $19 for seniors, students & teachers. Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St., 215-253-6731 or amrevmuseum.org.
King Day ‘Meet & Greet’ In Germantown
Monday, January 20, 2025. Celebrate the spirit of a civil-rights crusader and observe his holiday at the Annual Dr. King Day Beloved Community Event. Dr. King believed firmly that there was unity in the community. Mix, mingle, and get to know Germantown-area neighbors in a faith-based community. Learn about upcoming community improvement projects. Organized by Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together, take part in engaging group discussions and activities. Enjoy refreshments. Childcare and parking are available. Free but pre-register; 1 p.m. EST. to 3 p.m. EST. First United Methodist Church of Germantown FUMCOG, 6001 Germantown Ave. eventbrite.com or greatgtown.org.
Dr. Clayton lived King’s mission of service
Monday, January 20, 2024. Check out a tribute to longtime educator Dr. Constance Clayton and a special performance from Voices of Philadelphia (a ministry of the Philadelphia Bible Society) in celebration of Martin Luther King’s Day of Service. Learn about the achievements at Dr. Constance E. Clayton: A History of Civic Engagement and Leadership in Public Education — an engaging presentation by moderator Fasaha Traylor, author of They Carried Us: The Social Impact of Philadelphia’s Black Women Leaders. Traylor will provide insights into the life of Dr. Clayton, who died in 2023. Dr. Clayton will be celebrated for her trailblazing career as an education advocate, civic leader, and the first African American woman to lead the School District of Philadelphia. Organized by the Johnson House Historic Site, author Traylor’s book chronicles local Black female game-changers including Dr. Clayton. Traylor will read excerpts from her 2020 book highlighting Dr. Clayton’s impact on generations of Philadelphia school children. Traylor is the founder and director of an independent school in Germantown; she has served on the board of a national human-rights group and was awarded prestigious fellowships: the National Science Foundation, the Art Peters Memorial (journalism), and the Temple University Urban Fellowship. $15, 2 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. Germantown Mennonite Church. 21 West Washington Ln. eventbrite.com.
Violinist Nathan Amaral
Uplifting Musical Tribute To King
Monday, January 20, 2025. Dr. King’s legacy of fellowship will come to life at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Tribute Concert featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on King’s holiday. Enjoy inspirational anthems “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “The Storm Is Passing Over,” and “Total Praise,” as well as the works by Florence Price (1887-1953) and William Grant Still (1895-1978). Price was the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer and to have a composition performed by a major orchestra. Still was the first Black composer to conduct a professional symphony in the U.S. It will be a salute with music and storytelling honoring Dr. King, who believed the power of music influences change. Join conductor Damon Gupton Conductor, violinist Nathan Amaral, the Choir of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, Director Lauren Thomas-Moyett, and Paul M. Eaton, Director of the Girard College High School Choir. Charlotte Blake Alston, storyteller of African and African-American cultural traditions, will present remarks. Free but reserve tickets in advance; 3 p.m. EST. Girard College /Girard College Chapel, 2101 S. College Ave. 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org or philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org.
Poetry Is King
Tuesday, January 21, 2025. If you’re in the mood for poetry while paying tribute to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., add Coffee & Conversations: Open Mic Spoken Word Night to your calendar. Take to the stage to raise your voice and vision in true King fashion. Or just listen as a spectator. Check out three featured poets, refreshments, and an open-mic session of four-minute performances. To attend or take part in the open-mic segment, pre-register. Free, 4:30 p.m. EST to 6:30 p.m. EST. (doors open at 4 p.m. EST). Walnut Street West Library, 201 South 40th St. (40th & Walnut streets). 215-685-7671 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/145828.
Producer Tim Greene
Song tribute to Dr. King’s dream…
Celebrate the legacy of Dr. King in song by listening to “M.L. King Anthem For An American Hero,“ a stirring anthem produced by Tim Greene and performed by Dr. A.L. Bradford. Greene is a graduate of Martin Luther King High School in Philly’s Germantown section, an international radio personality, a filmmaker, and a community champion. “This anthem is my way of giving back and paying homage to Dr. King’s dream and vision,” Greene said in a press release. Get the King tribute song for free: Stream it on YouTube or download it in MP3 format via this link: Download the Song. 215-913-8709 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjFFcpJffGc.
Health Inequities Are Examined
Wednesday, January 22, 2025. Inequity in healthcare has been a topic highlighted in the news since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years. The important conversation will continue with the Author Events Series presenting Uché Blackstock, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine. Take a deep dive into this pressing topic through author Uche Blackstock’s story as a Black physician actively practicing in the United States health system, which includes just two percent female Black doctors. Her book has been called “a generational family memoir, and a call to action.” The Brooklyn, NY native comes from a family of doctors; she learned about the pervasive inequity issue as a youth observing her physician mother, a graduate of Harvard Medical School. Discrimination in healthcare results in poorer health outcomes than other racial groups. As an ER physician, and later as a professor in academic medicine, Dr. Blackstock — and her family — know firsthand about the obstacles facing patients and medical practitioners. It has informed and inspired her role as a health-equity advocate. Hear her insightful story and buy her book at the event. Pre-register: $5, 7 p.m. EST. Parkway Central Library 1901 Vine St, 215-567-4341 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/authorevents/?id=145533.
