Brooklyn Academy of Music honors Martin Luther King Jr.’s 88th birthday
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“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.”