Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Tanya-Nixon Silberg, Bonnie Duncan, Mwalim “DaPhunkee Professor”, Dr. Tony Van Der Meer, Aziza Robinson-Goodnight, Jaypix Belmer, and James Pierre.
Monday, January 15, 2024
11 am - 4 pm
Monday, January 15, 2024
11 am - 4 pm
Honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with storytelling, impactful conversation, art-making and music! Artists and thought leaders will share reflections on themes of social justice, equity, art, and empowerment, and invite participation in activities throughout the day.
Join us as we celebrate and honor the legacies of activism here in the City of Boston! In this very special program, we invite you to learn and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, their mark on social justice movements today, and why we still dream.
Bring your family and dive deep into the many ways you can show up for your communities as you engage in the many different activities led by Educators, Organizers, and Cultural leaders dedicated to building a better future for all. We welcome you to learn more about these stories through activities with Space for Change, Drum Circles with DaPhunkee Professor, and conversation with Professor Van Der Meer of UMass Boston, James Pierre, Jaypix Belmer, and Aziza Robinson-Goodnight.
Drop-In Drumming in the Living Room | 12 pm & 2 pm
Families, kids, and people of all ages are invited into the circle to learn drums and spirituals with Multi-award-winning Composer and Educator Mwalim“DaPhunkee Professor.”
Space for Change in Calderwood Hall | 11:30 am, 12 pm, 1:30 pm and 2 pm
Families and children welcome! Join educators and artists Tanya Nixon-Silberg and Bonnie Duncan in Space for Change, an interactive family experience learning together on how to create pathways in building a better community for all. In this activity, participants are guided through live music with prompts to create pathways and space for interconnectedness. Once the space is created, participants are invited to reflect on their experience and their lives as a community.
Why We Still Dream Conversation in the Studio | 3 pm
It has been 60 years since Civil Rights leader and minister Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his historic 1963 speech “I Have a Dream” on the March of Washington for some of the same civil and economic rights people of color are still fighting for today.
As we gather today, we honor and recognize this fight lives on through us and our children to continue to show up for ourselves and our communities. We also honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King as both ancestors and models of peace, justice, equity, and leadership–guiding us in this day and conversation as we ask “Why do we still Dream?” We invite activists and educators to share their responses to this question as the community listens in to their hopes, dreams, struggles, and ideas of how we can mobilize as a people for a better future. Moderated by Reparations Activist & Arts Advocate Aziza Robinson-Goodnight, this panel brings together Dr. Tony Van Der Meer of UMass Boston, artist, advocate and Gardner Luminary James Pierre, and artist Jaypix Belmer.
Advance registration is encouraged for free timed entry tickets for Museum general admission.
Registration opens two weeks before the event for the general public and four weeks in advance for members. Reserve your tickets online by clicking the button above.
Limited tickets may be available in-person at the Museum’s main entrance the day of the event. Please note that day-of tickets are not guaranteed.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is generously sponsored by Maureen and Michael Ruettgers.
Free days are supported in part by the Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation and the Liberty Mutual Foundation.
The Neighborhood Salon is supported in part by the Barr Foundation ArtsAmplified Initiative and the Polly Thayer Starr Charitable Trust.
Education and community programs receive support from the Vertex Foundation, Rowland Foundation, the Yawkey Foundation, The Beker Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, The Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation, Thomas Anthony Pappas Charitable Foundation, and Janet Burke Mann Foundation.
The Museum also receives operating support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which is supported by the state of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.