Food Lion® Presents: MLK Day Celebration

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Join us for a day-long commemoration of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Bring the entire family to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Gantt Center on Monday, January 20. Starting with a screening of Our Friend Martin at 9:15 am, enjoy programming packed with hands-on art workshops, guided tours, musical performances, and more as we examine the inequities in housing, incarceration and reentry.

The MLK Day Celebration is proudly sponsored by Food Lion.

9 am - 5 pm
Galleries open

9 am - 5 pm
Community Coloring

9:15 am - 10:15 am
Our Friend Martin Screening

Produced by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and DIC Entertainment in collaboration with the family of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Our Friend Martin is an animated, feature-length film that features two sixth-grade boys who are transported back to the time of civil rights leader Dr. King and who learn about his life and his contribution to humankind by experiencing the moment themselves and watching history in the making. The animated story is interspersed with authentic historical footage celebrating the life and work of Dr. King.

10 am - 10:30 am
Guided Tour

Docent led tours of The Gantt’s current exhibitions.

10 am - 11 am
Walk, Fly, Run - Hands on Art with Jeffery Weatherford

Participants will engage in the creation of their very own “What Do You Stand For?” mural installation where they will utilize collage art to create a community art project that illustrates the similarities they have rather than focusing on the differences. Participants draw, color, and paste pictures onto shoe cutouts to create a collaborative community piece.

10 am - 12 noon
Screen printing the Dream - Macfly Fresh Printing Co.

Create screen printed posters and additional items inspired by the day’s themes and our exhibitions. Available while supplies last.

10:30 am - 12 noon
Clean Slate 101 - An Expungement Information Session with the Council of Elders

An Expungement Information Session w/ the Council of Elders- Rooftop - Join the Mecklenburg Council of Elders and leaders from the criminal justice field for an informative panel on what charges can be expunged, the value of expungement, as well as what the community can do to support formerly incarcerated community members renter society. Panel followed by a Q&A.

11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Our Friend Martin Screening

11:30 am - 12:15 pm
Art + Words with Shane of Guerilla Poets

...and justice for all letter writing and poetry workshop. Teaching artist Shane Manier of Guerilla Poets will lead attendees through a writing workshop inspired by our new exhibition, ...and justice for all. Letters and poems will be sent to youth and parents of incarcerated community members throughout the county.

11:30 am - 12 noon
Guided Tour

12:30 pm - 5 pm
Community Coloring

12 noon - 1 pm
Musical Performance - Quentin Talley and the Soul Providers

Join Quentin Talley for an Afro futuristic soul and funk journey celebrating our history and the fight for justice and freedom.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Youth Roundtable and Action Session- Be More Foundation

Discussion and interactivity activities led by the Students of the Be More Foundation. Students will investigate inequities in incarceration and housing through the lens of the legacy and impact of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Students will help the next generation chart the course forward.

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
Walk, Fly, Run - Hands on Art with Jeffery Weatherford

12:30 pm - 1:15 pm
Art + Words with Shane of Guerilla Poets

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Faith in Action: Revolutionary and Radical Love - Panel Discussion

An interfaith panel from the region discussed the current landscape of faith based responses to 21st Century social justice issues. The moderated panel will discuss housing, incarceration on more, where are we, what’s being done, and how else can we work together to further the dream. Moderated by Minister , Author, and Poet - deAngelo Dia . Panelists include- George Dunlap, Rabbi Judy Schindler, Calvin Simmons, Tim Nicodemus, and Wafa Omran-Elhindi.

1:45 pm - 2:00 pm
Spoken Word Performance- Boris "Bluz" Rogers

Award winning poet and host Bluz joins us to share a poem inspired by the themes of the day.

2 pm - 2:30 pm
Guided Tour

2:30 pm - 3 pm
Musical Performance - Kenya Templeton

Jazz and Soul vocalist Kenya Templeton weaves history and emotion to her performance and storytelling performance.

2:30 pm - 3:15 pm
Move The Crowd - Poetry and Performance Workshop - Boris "Bluz" Rogers

Classroom Participants will learn how Bluz finds inspiration for his spoken and written poetic pieces. Then practice performing your work in front of the class.

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Theatrical Performance: BNS Production’s presentation of Fences by August Wilson

Scene Preview and Audience Talk Back

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Our Friend Martin Screening

4 pm - 4:30 pm
Guided Tour

4:30 pm - 5 pm
Musical Performance - Kenya Templeton

If you missed Kenya’s first performance, join her and her band again for a journey of jazz.