The African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and Black Ensemble Theater present the 10th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 at 6 p.m.. The jubilant, online event is free will be available live at aaaachicago.org and www.blackensemble.org .
The annual production will honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This celebration of the philosophy of Dr. King will feature dance, music, spoken word and excerpts from some of Dr. King's most potent speeches with performances by Black Ensemble Theater Artists André Teamer, Dawn Bless, Dwight Neal and a host of others.
The virtual event is sponsored by the Driehaus Foundation and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.
About The African American Arts Alliance
The African American Arts Alliance was started in 1997 by a group of leading African American artists who came together to discuss their commonalities and challenges as Black artists and arts organizations in the city of Chicago. The organization added structure to the conversations and developed strategies to address issues that were identified. Since its inception, the Alliance has grown from 15 members to its present membership of 186 individual artists and art organizations in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, film, visual arts, literary arts, and technical arts.
The African American Arts Alliance annually produces four organizational developmental workshops, and two town hall meetings to ascertain the needs of the membership, evaluate effectiveness in meeting their needs, and discuss relevant issues. The AAAA produces Black Arts Month, a month of arts activities produced by the membership and promoted by the Alliance, as well as the Black Excellence Awards, the Alliance Mentoring Program, and the Martin Luther King Annual Celebration
About Black Ensemble Theater
Black Ensemble Theater (BE), Founded in 1976 by the phenomenal actress, producer, and playwright Jackie Taylor, has grown from a small community arts organization to a vibrant nationally and internationally renowned arts institution. A leader and innovator in the African American and mainstream arts communities, Black Ensemble Theater is recognized as one of the most diverse theaters in the country, producing excellent musical theater. On November 18, 2011, BE celebrated the Grand Opening of the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, the theater's first permanent home located at 4450 N. Clark Street, in the heart of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.
The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater is to eradicate racism and its damaging effects upon our society through the utilization of theater arts. BE is the only theater in the nation whose mission is to eradicate racism. We utilize theater and educational outreach programs to bring races together in a community which embraces similarities and fosters dialogue, understanding and acceptance.
