Events
Hopeful and uplifting MLK celebration in song
Mistress of Ceremony Alexandria Hinds and Master of Ceremony Ray Logan
The human voice in song stirs the heart - and lifts the spirit. At St. John's College's fifth annual "Lift Every Voice" concert, the community filled the Francis Scott Key Auditorium on the Annapolis campus to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. with renowned vocal groups from the region. This year offered a rare treat: a performance by the Morgan State University Choir, who sang a moving rendition of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
"I found it to be hopeful and uplifting," says Alexandria Hinds (A10), St. John's assistant director of admissions. Ms. Hinds served as the event's mistress of ceremony along with Raymond Logan, master of ceremony and St. John's assistant custodial supervisor. Says Ms. Hinds, "This event is important for both the college and the community because it brings a diverse group of people on campus."
Other highlights included performances by the Sensational Royal Lights - a soulful quartet from Cambridge, Md. - and the Queen Sisters, who invited members of the audience to join them on stage to sing and dance. "It was like the way a St. John's seminar breaks down the teacher-student barrier," says Ms. Hinds. When the audience joined the performers "it was refreshing."
St. John's Treasurer Dr. Bronté Jones organized the first concert five years ago to offer a family-centered community event. "While there are many events in Washington, D.C., and in Baltimore, it seemed appropriate for Annapolis to have an event that is free and open to the community," she says.
The fifth annual "Lift Every Voice" concert wrapped up a weekend of events at St. John's honoring Dr. King's legacy. These included a Great Issues keynote address by Dr. Julianne Malveaux, nationally recognized economist, author, and president of Bennett College for Women; her talk was followed by a panel discussion with community leaders, and seminar discussions on Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, co-led by faculty of St. John's College and Sojourner-Douglass College.
→ View the Facebook photo album of the 2012 MLK events celebration...
