Look for a more youthful presence at this year's Martin Luther King Jr., Music Hall celebration, complete with lots of upbeat music and poetry, busloads of kids from NKU and UC with attendees taking pictures and tweeting about it.
Organizers decided the old way of doing things, a three hour program with a keynote speaker, was losing people's energy. Board member Christina Brown said, "We weren't sure if young people were connecting to more than just King's image. Did they understand King's ideologies and did they see him as a relevant figure?"
This year's program has been shortened to 90 minutes and will be filled with groups like:
- NKU's Black Theatre Ensemble
- Martin Luther King Chorale
- S.W.E.R.V.E (poetry)
- Wordplay Cincinnati Scribes
The day begins with a sold-out breakfast at the National Underground Freedom Center. Then at 10:30 people will march from the Freedom Center to Fountain Square and Music Hall. (a bus will be available for those who can't walk) After a 11:00 a.m. prayer service on Fountain Square participants will march to Music Hall for the noon program.
