In coordination with the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Human Relations, the City of Carmel hosted its sixth annual commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., at the Tarkington Theater Jan. 11.
The free event, under the artistic direction of Carmel singer and vocal coach Blair Clark, incorporated multimedia presentations, live music, drama, speech and dance.
“It’s a very theatrical production,” City of Carmel Community Relations Specialist Marissa Barrett said. “But our goal is to commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr.”
Ashhar Madni, of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Human Relations, spoke of the diverse community that has evolved in Carmel, calling it a “mosaic.”
“Look to your left. Look to your right. I honestly believe this is what Dr. King envisioned,” Mayor Sue Finkam said of the cultural diversity in the audience.
Chaya Reich and Erica Thompson narrated the life of King throughout the program. The Carmel High School Choir Ambassadors, under the direction of CHS teacher Kyle Barker, sang the national anthem, “As’ kwaz’ Ukuhamba” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” CHS senior Gabi Bradley performed an interpretive dance to “Freedom” by Pharrell Williams.
“Dr. Martin Luther King did so much for Black people and for people as a whole, to bring people together. He opened doors for people like me,” actress and participant Morgan Webster said. “Just for me to be a part of something like this is a testament to all that (King) and others have done.”
Webster, along with IndySoul singer Bashiri Asad and CHS seniors Julien Gourgue and DeeDee Nwafo, performed a skit written by playwright and director Shandrea Funnye, which highlighted Lewis Latimer, who invented the long-lasting carbon lightbulb filament, and Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, who performed the first open-heart surgery.
“The skit is intended to educate the audience about what Black people have done and their contributions to the world as we know it,” Asad said. “I’ve always believed that Dr. Martin Luther King was a cog in the machine of change. He was a maverick in every sense of the word. At certain points in his life, he was shunned by everyone, even his own people. But it was all for the bigger picture. It’s a duty for those who have gifts to use those gifts for the betterment of people.”
Asad also performed “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, along with the live music ensemble of Jeff DeHerdt, Joe Filipow and Danell Perkins. He encouraged audience members to continue to ask that question as we look at the world around us.
Sponsors of the event included the Carmel Clay Public Library, Sari-Heart Foundation, Inc., and United Negro College Fund.
