BAM hosts its 40th annual free Brooklyn tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., and everyone is invited. The celebration brings together artists and civic leaders to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King. 

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, a national civil rights leader, public theologian, and Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.

The Tribute will also feature a solo excerpt from Grace, the seminal work by Ronald K. Brown, performed by Khalia Campbell of Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE. Titled “Mother God,” the solo channels the spiritual essence at the heart of Brown’s choreography. Originally created in 1999 for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Grace traces the journey of a goddess descending to Earth to offer compassion and light.

BAMkids will present Nurturing the Seeds of Resilience, a family-friendly program co-curated with the BAMkids Parent Advisory Circle. This event features engaging activities across three timed sessions and an ongoing mural design.

At 1pm, BAM Rose Cinemas will screen Just Mercy, the powerful true story of a young lawyer who defends Walter McMillian, a Black man wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Alabama.

Tickets are free for this event and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8am on January 20 in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House lobby. Please note that providing an RSVP does not guarantee entry.

A livestream is available on BAM.org during the event. The link will not be available after the program.