ONLINE: Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment

media release: The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel will present a hybrid commemoration in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy on Monday, April 4, the 54th anniversary of his death. The Museum invites the public to join in honoring Dr. King at this year’s “Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment.” 

The live broadcast begins at 4 pm Central with a musical prelude followed by the commemorative service at 4:30 pm via the museum’s website and Livestream platforms.  This live broadcast is from the historic Lorraine Motel balcony where Dr. King was assassinated.

Guests are welcome to attend the free commemoration in the museum courtyard, weather permitting.  If inclement weather, the event will be held inside the museum’s Hooks Hyde Hall.

Each year, the Museum commemorates the tragic event that occurred on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in 1968. This year’s event features a keynote speaker, special performances, fraternal tributes, and the changing of the balcony wreath with a moment of silence at 6:01 pm Central the time when Dr. King was slain.

Dr. Leslie D. Callahan of St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA is the keynote speaker.  The W. Crimm Singers AKA The Wakanda Chorale, and the Iris Orchestra’s Artist Fellows with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra & University of Memphis Fellows will give musical tributes to Dr. King. 

Dr. Callahan has been the pastor of the St. Paul's Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA, since May 2009 serving as its fifth pastor and the first woman to lead the 132-year-old congregation. Callahan earned degrees from Harvard University, Union Theological Seminary (NY), and Princeton University. Active in public service, in 2012 she was appointed a commissioner of the Philadelphia Housing Authority. She also serves on the board of directors for Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, which provides legal support for record expungement and pardons, and the governing board of The Promise, Philadelphia's poverty initiative.

W. Crimm Singers AKA Wakanda Chorale, a professional ensemble-in-residence of Tennessee State University’s Big Blue Opera Initiatives, wholly embraces the music of the Black experience throughout the diaspora and every genre connected to it with major emphasis on the Negro Spiritual, African American operatic, and concert repertoire, hymnody, and anthems. The group presented in the International Florence Price Festival’s Songs from the Heart of a Woman: The Vocal Music of Florence Price, and most recently, performed Handel’s Messiah with Early Music City and period orchestra, marking the first all-Black vocal cast performance of work in Nashville in over 25 years.

Musical performances by Iris Orchestra’s Artist Fellows and Memphis Symphony Orchestra/University of Memphis Fellows, two prestigious programs dedicated to emerging musicians from African American and Latinx communities, which are historically underrepresented populations in classical music.  Their musical prelude will begin at 4:00 pm Central.

As with tradition, audio recordings of the civil rights leader’s speeches will play in the courtyard throughout the day. The museum is open during regular hours 9 am – 5 pm on April 4.  

Registration for the link to the live-streamed program is highly recommended. Moderated comments can also be shared during the virtual broadcast.  For more information, visit April4th.org.

About the National Civil Rights Museum

the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 student visits annually. The Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights.  It educates and serves as a catalyst to inspire action to create positive social change. 

A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum is recognized as a 2019 National Medal Award recipient by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the top national honor for museums and libraries.  It is a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today's Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC's Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal.  

- civilrightsmuseum.org -