Montgomery County Ceremony Honors Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. “Fulfilling the Dream: A Celebration of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 12, 2018

Montgomery County’s Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will be held on Monday, January 15 at 3:30 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda.

Residents are invited to this free event that gives tribute to the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is the first time in many years the holiday falls on Dr. King’s actual birthday, making this program particularly significant.

The ceremony is produced by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Committee and the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights.

This year’s theme is “Fulfilling the Dream: A Celebration of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”. The celebration will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s life through dramatic readings, music, dance performances and a special choral performance by the Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir from Birmingham, Alabama.  

The Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir began in 1959 singing in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The group offered music and inspiration during the pervasive unrest of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.

The County’s youth play an important part of this community event. Musical performances will be provided by student groups from Albert Einstein High School; Clarksburg High School; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School; Gaithersburg High School; Montgomery Blair High School; Northwest High School and Ritchie Park Elementary School.

The event is hosted by NBC News 4 Anchor Leon Harris. Presenters for the program include County Executive Ike Leggett who will be joined by U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen; U.S. Congressman Jamie Raskin; County Council President Hans Riemer; County Council Vice President Nancy Navarro; Councilmembers Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen, Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, George Leventhal, Craig Rice; and Board of Education President Michael Durso.

Free tickets are required for this event, and will only be distributed onsite the day of the performance (Monday, January 15) starting at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are first-come, first served and everyone in line will receive a general admission ticket until the venue is filled. Come early to get the best seating. The line will form in the Music Center foyer, starting near the café. Patrons may enter on the third floor near the skybridge. Seating will begin at 3 p.m.

For more information on the event go to https://www.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/mlk-tribute

Release ID: 18-439
Media Contact: James Stowe 240-888-5502