A Day of Service and celebration in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Target in partnership with The Museum of African American History and  the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras present “A Day of Service and Celebration in Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” on Monday, January 20, 2014 at 1pm in Faneuil Hall.  The music and spoken word tributes to Dr. King will feature family-friendly classical and spiritual pieces performed by BYSO’s Intensive Community Program and leaders in their own fields and in community service evoking the themes of community and youth engagement.

The program will feature a moving selection of classical music, spirituals and freedom songs performed by the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras’ Intensive Community Program, conducted by Marta  Zurad.

“The City of Boston has the great privilege of working with the Museum of African History and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras for its 6th annual Day of Service and Celebration in Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Dr. King’s message of justice and peace is just as relevant today as it was during the Civil Rights Movement. What better way to honor this iconic civil rights leader, then by uniting communities through music, spoken word, history and volunteer service opportunities.  I invite all Bostonians to join us in this celebration of the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”   -Mayor Martin J. Walsh

Local filmmaker and educator, Judy Richardson will deliver the keynote speech. Judy Richardson began her career in filmmaking as associate producer of Eyes on the Prize, a 14-hour documentary series on the history of the civil rights movement. Eyes on the Prize was broadcast on PBS in 1987 and 1990, and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1988.

Serving as a senior producer for Northern Light Productions in Boston, Richardson produced historical documentaries for broadcast and museums, with a focus on African American historical events, including: a one-hour documentary on the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre (South Carolina) for PBS; two History Channel documentaries on slavery and slave resistance; and installations for, among others, the National Park Service’s Little Rock Nine Visitor’s Center, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati), the New York State Historical Society’s “Slavery in New York” exhibit, and the Paul Laurence Dunbar House (Dayton). Richardson and five other SNCC women, edited Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts By Women in SNCC. The anthology, published by University of Illinois Press, includes the courageous stories of over fifty SNCC women. It was the Press’ best-selling title in 2011 and was issued in paperback in August 2012. Richardson received an Image Award for Vision and Excellence from Women in Film and Video. She lectures, writes, and conducts professional development workshops for teachers about the history and values of the Civil Rights Movement and their relevance to current issues. Richardson was awarded an honorary doctorate by Swarthmore College and became a visiting professor at Brown University in the fall of 2012.

In addition to the keynote speaker, a distinguished roster of leaders will read from some of Dr. King's most memorable writings and speeches.  This roster includes Michael A. Curry, Esq., President, Boston NAACP and Legislative Affairs Director and Senior Counsel; Geraldine Hines, Associate Justice, Massachusetts Appeals Court; and Farrah Ridore, Alumni, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras Intensive Community Program and Sophomore at Drew University in Madison.

In keeping with the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy, the Mayor’s Office and Boston Cares are organizing a service event at Reggie Lewis Center.  Hundreds of volunteers will have the opportunity to choose from various service projects including assembling toddler beds, making fleece blankets, making flash cards, lap desks and other items.

There will be two volunteer sessions; the first session will be from 10:00-12:00 pm and the second will be from 1:30-3:00 p.m. Registration will be available through the Boston Cares website at http://www.bostoncares.org/mlk_day.

A Day of Service and Celebration is presented by TARGET and produced by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events.  Events are free and open to the general public.  For further information visit www.cityofboston.gov/arts or call 617-635-3911.