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Noon(ish): A Short List Of MLK Day Events

Martin Luther King Jr. asks questions of a tenant at a hearing on housing conditions in Hough in 1967. [Northeast Ohio Broadcast Archive at John Carroll University]
Martin Luther King Jr. asks questions of a tenant at a hearing on housing conditions in Hough in 1967.

The view from the Idea Center

It’s MLK Day, our federal holiday to remember civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose life was spent in service to an idea that men (and women) are really, truly created equal and should be treated as such.

Here’s a short list of some events to help you mark this special day.

The Cleveland Orchestra hosts its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Open House, with free musical performances by the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and “400: An Afrikan Epic” with Dr. Mark Lomax and his ensemble. Lomax’s conversation with ideastream’s Dan Polletta about the piece may inspire you to stick around after the Severance Hall performance for the Q&A.

At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, wander around the exhibits free of charge. There’s also a “family educational session” this afternoon exploring the history of soul and rhythm and blues music in Cleveland.

In Beachwood, the musical celebration continues at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage’s free “Hear Our Voices” program. On the schedule for this afternoon is a documentary film screening of “Soundtrack for a Revolution: Freedom Songs from the Civil Rights Era.” There are also crafts and activities for you and the kids.

Today’s holiday in King’s name comes against the backdrop of a gun rights demonstration in Richmond, Virginia, that is expected to draw militia groups and white supremacists amid a presidential election year in which the man seeking re-election, Donald Trump, has been impeached. 

I’ll close with these words from Dr. King: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

See you bright and early tomorrow morning on the radio,
Amy Eddings

Need to KnOH

Headlines from Northeast Ohio and Beyond
 

Your ideas

What are your thoughts on the state of race relations in Cleveland on this day honoring civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Share your dreams and your worries. Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on  our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.

And before you head out into the snow for a day of events to mark Dr. King's legacy, check out this story from ideastream's Nick Castele on King's visit to Cleveland in 1967 as part of his campaign against poverty and discrimination.

Or stay in and watch ideastream’s production of the Cleveland Orchestra’s 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert marking the 50 th anniversary of King’s death. 

Expertise: Hosting live radio, writing and producing newscasts, Downtown Cleveland, reporting on abortion, fibersheds, New York City subway system, coffee