Dean Goes Big on MLK This Week

With the return of students to campus, Dean College is making this the week for teachable moments about Martin Luther King and his times and ours.

Overview

Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation: Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 6:30pm Dean College Marvin Chapel 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA

In-Person

These events are in-person and open to the public.

The Occasion

Where Do We Go from Here was King’s analysis of the state of American race relations and the movement after a decade of U.S. civil rights struggles. “With Selma and the Voting Rights Act one phase of development in the civil rights revolution came to an end,” he observed. King believed that the next phase in the movement would bring its own challenges, as African Americans continued to make demands for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, an education equal to that of whites, and a guarantee that the rights won in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would be enforced by the federal government. He warned that “the persistence of racism in depth and the dawning awareness that Negro demands will necessitate structural changes in society have generated a new phase of white resistance in North and South.”

James Baldwin wrote about the resistance movements, dissent and the humanity of youth. Two of Baldwin’s essays – The Dangerous Road Before Martin Luther King and They Can’t Turn Back – capture Baldwin’s admiration of the conviction, tenacity, and the American idealism of a younger generation. We celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. and through his shared ability with Baldwin to transform what it means to be human into words, prose, poetry, and art.

This is an occasion to explore ideas about politics and society; challenge the status quo and presumptions; ask questions and question; and, foster dialogues.

* Paragraph from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute (https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/where-do-we-gohere-chaos-or-community)

Additional Programs and Reflections

There are additional community events and activities – with the goal of stimulating and encouraging free inquiry, discussion and meaningful debate about political and social issues – as part of our celebration of the legacies of Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Coffee and Conversation with Dean College President Kenneth Elmore, January 26, 2024, 3-5 p.m. Franklin Public Library, 118 Main Street, Franklin, MA

Film and Discussion: Selma January 26, 2024, 7 p.m. Dean College Atrium Dr. Paula M. Rooney Student Center 109 West Central Street, Franklin, MA

Boston Excursion and Visit: The Embrace and the Museum of African American History

January 27, 2024, 11 a.m. Meet in front of the Dining Room Dr. Paula M. Rooney Student Center 109 West Central Street, Franklin, MA Reserve a space: sald@dean.edu

Where Do We Go from Here: Music and Spoken Word

January 31, 2024, 6 – 7 pm Dean College Marvin Chapel, Music by Anthony Trecek-King Resident Conductor, Chorus - Handel + Haydn Society, Words by Martin Luther King, Jr, Global Icon

Convocation Featured Speaker

Emmett G. Price III is an internationally-recognized expert on Black Music & Culture, Afro-Diasporic sacred & secular expressions, and Christian Worship. He has spent much of the past few decades writing, lecturing and conducting cutting edge research on bridging the generational divide. A well-regarded scholar and educator, Dr. Price has the unique ability to capture the hearts and minds of the most diverse and versatile audiences with his compassionate sense of humor, his amicable intellect, and his quick wit. He is a noted print and broadcast media expert.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Price received a B.A. in music from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned both his M.A. and Ph.D. in music (ethnomusicology) from the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, Dr. Price serves as Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and Visiting Associate Professor of Music at Harvard University. He has served as a guest lecturer at over 50 universities worldwide. An acclaimed scholar, Dr. Price is the author of HIP HOP Culture (ABC-CLIO, 2006), executive editor of the Encyclopedia of African American Music (ABC-CLIO, 2011) and editor of The Black Church and Hip Hop Culture: Toward Bridging the Generational Divide (Scarecrow Press, 2012). He is the former editor-inchief of the Journal of Popular Music Studies. Along with numerous commissioned writings and book length chapters, his work can be found in African American Review, American Music, Black Music Research Journal, the Boston Banner, the Boston Herald, Ethnomusicology, GIA Quarterly: A Liturgical Music Journal, International Jazz Archives Journal, Journal of Popular Music Studies, NOTES: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, and Yale Journal of Music and Religion.

An ordained minister, Dr. Price serves as Founding Pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship. Since 2011, he has served as the Director of the James Abbington Church Music Academy as part of the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference & Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild. Dr. Price is a respected civic leader and arts advocate currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC). He is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra and a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Contemporary Art/ Boston.

Convocation Speakers and Readers

 Amy Adams, Vice Chair Franklin Cultural, District Adjunct Faculty Member, Dean College

 Alisha Caldeira, Vice President of Communications, Dean College Student Government

 Kenneth Elmore, President Dean College

 Jo-Ann Reid, Associate Professor of English,Dean College

Felicia Oti, Director, Franklin Public Library

Convocation Music
Performed by the Dean College Vocal Ensemble
Timothy Ayres-Kerr, Director
Lauren Chamberlain. Daniel Mayer, Angiolina Chessa, Patrick McKinney, Cordelia D’Orsi Avery Sullivan, Aiden Day, Holly Marie Sullivan, Dylana Deignan, Ava Turner, Trisha Dobson, Jason Warner, Paige Evora, Lindsey Waters, Lucas Farlow, Lia Zajas, Paige Langston