Hosted by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement and Blackout for Human Rights, the special MLK Day Commemorative event will take place
Monday, January 18th from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Riverside Church in Harlem
The Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) and Blackout for Human Rights will host “MLK Now,” a special MLK Day event to celebrate and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and explore how his message and vision continue to resonate in today’s racial, social and political landscape. “MLK Now” will feature historic speeches performed by some of today’s leading actors, musical and spoken word performances, and will close off with an interactive panel discussion addressing the most pressing human rights issues of today, including police violence, racial and social injustice, economic inequality, the prison industrial complex and grassroots and political mobilization.
Actor and Civil Rights Icon Harry Belafonte; Actor/Comedian Chris Rock; Oscar-Winning Actress Octavia Spencer; Grammy-Nominated Hip Hop Artist J. Cole; Tony Award-Winning Actress Anika Noni Rose; Actor Michael B. Jordan; Grammy Award-Nominated Artist Bilal; Grammy Award-winning Artist India Arie; Actress Tessa Thompson; Actor Andre Holland; “Hamilton” Star Lin-Manuel Miranda; Actress Adepero Oduye, Filmmaker and Blackout Member Ryan Coogler; Urban CuspFounder and Publisher Rahiel Tesfamariam; Arab American Association of New YorkExecutive Director Linda Sarsour; Million Hoodies Movement for Justice Executive Director Dante Barry; Racial/Social Justice Activist Leon Ford, Jr., and Filmmaker/Activist and Sankofa.org Co-Director Gina Belafonte.
VICE will serve as media partner on the event.
Monday, January 18th from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.)
Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY
Admission to the event is free; tickets
For real-time updates and to tweet along during the program, follow @bmachievement and
@UnitedBlackOut using the hashtag #mlkNow.
Blackout is a network of artists, entertainers, advocates, spiritual leaders, educators and everyday citizens who commit their collective resources towards addressing human rights violations in the U.S. Blackout is comprised of both high visibility and everyday citizens. Members include Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Charles King, Nate Parker, Donald “Childish Gambino” Glover, Ava DuVernay, Jesse Williams, John Burris, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosa Clemente, Michael McBride, Shaka King, Scott Budnick, David Oyelowo, Pastor Michael McBride and others. www.blackoutforhumanrights.com.
The Campaign for Black Male Achievement is a national membership network that seeks to ensure the growth, sustainability, and impact of leaders and organizations committed to improving the life outcomes of Black men and boys. CBMA is a growing network that currently includes more than 4,750 leaders representing nearly 2,590 organizations and programs across the country. www.blackmaleachievement.org