December 21, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will present Martin Luther King Jr. Week Jan. 17-21 on the UAB campus, with several events designed to honor the late civil rights leader.
The week's events include a community celebration, "Reflect and Rejoice: A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17 at the Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Tickets are $20, $15, $10; student tickets are $10. Call 205-975-2787 or go to www.AlysStephens.org.
The event is presented in partnership with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO). Performing with the ASO is composer, multimedia artist and writer Paul Miller, also known as "DJ Spooky."
"Reflect and Rejoice" also will feature conductor Michael Morgan, music director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony, and the Alabama A&M University Concert Choir with selections that will include J. Rosamund Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing"; "Winds of Change: A Composition and Homage to the NAACP on 100 Years of Change" by Paul Miller, with video; and Robert Ray's "He Never Failed Me Yet." In addition, the event will feature an annual poetry contest, "Winds of Change." "Reflect and Rejoice" is sponsored by The Birmingham News, WBHM and Viva Health.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18, faculty and staff will participate in a special day of service known as Hands On Birmingham King Day of Service. Hands On Birmingham is an organization that encourages volunteerism in Birmingham through employer-sponsored group and individual volunteer projects. UAB will join other local employers, including Alabama Power and Wachovia, to provide opportunities for employees to participate in one of the many volunteer opportunities Hands On Birmingham offers.
UAB students can participate in the Hands on Birmingham King Day of Service through the UAB Leadership and Service Council by registering at noon Monday, Jan. 18 in the UAB Hill University Center Concourse, 1400 University Blvd. For more details, contact the UAB Office of Student Involvement at 205-934-8020.
On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the UAB Black Student Awareness Committee will present "Visual Impact: An MLK Tribute Program" at 7 p.m. in the UAB Hill University Center Great Hall, 1400 University Blvd. The program will feature spoken word, music and performance visual artist Richard Hight who will create an eight-foot portrait of Martin Luther King Jr., choreographed to music, in just minutes. Hight is nationally renowned for his colorful portraits of musicians, people in history and landscapes. The event is free and open to the public, Call 205-934-8225 for more details.
The week will end Thursday, Jan. 21 when the UAB Black Student Awareness Committee will present "I Have a Dream: Hearing the Words and Interpreting the Vision" at 7 p.m. in the UAB Hill University Center, Alumni Auditorium, 1400 University Blvd. The audience will view a film of King delivering his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C. After the film, the audience will take part in a discussion about the speech and its impact on the world. The event is free and open to the public. Call 205-934-8225 for more details.
About UAB
Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center and the state of Alabama's largest employer. For more information, please visit www.uab.edu.