BAM To Present 40th Annual Tribute To Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Additional free programming will take place across BAM venues throughout the day, including music, film, and family-centered activities.
On Monday, Monday, January 19, 2026, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will present the 40th Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Howard Gilman Opera House marking four decades of the city’s largest and longest-running public celebration honoring Dr. King’s life and legacy.
The program will feature a keynote address by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, a solo excerpt from Grace by Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, performed by Khalia Campbell, and a musical program by The Fire Ensemble under the direction of Troy Anthony. Remarks will also be shared by Citizens Youth Speaker Aponi Kafele, a BAM Education participant and member of the Brooklyn Interns for Arts and Culture program.
Following the morning tribute, additional free programming will take place across BAM venues throughout the day, including music, film, and family-centered activities.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
BAMKIDS CELEBRATES MLK DAY: NURTURING THE SEEDS OF RESILIENCE
Monday, January 19
11:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.
The Adam Space (BAMcafé)
Peter Jay Sharp Building
30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Ages 6+
Free with registration
Family programming includes movement-based activities, letter writing workshops, educational games exploring Dr. King’s life and legacy, and a collaborative mural project. Sessions are co-curated with the BAMkids Parent Advisory Circle.
FILM SCREENING: JUST MERCY
Monday, January 19
1:00 p.m.
BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Free | Tickets distributed first-come
The screening of Just Mercy (dir. Destin Daniel Cretton, 2019, 137 min.), based on the memoir by civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, follows a young lawyer’s defense of a man wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death.
COMMUNITY CHOIR REHEARSALS WITH THE FIRE ENSEMBLE
Community members are invited to participate in open rehearsals with The Fire Ensemble and perform as part of the MLK Tribute.
Rehearsals will take place at The Adam Space, BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building (30 Lafayette Ave.) on:
– Tuesday, January 6
– Wednesday, January 7
– Tuesday, January 13
– Wednesday, January 14
All rehearsals run from 6:00–8:00 p.m.
A final mandatory rehearsal will take place on Sunday, January 18.
No prior choir experience is required. Participants must attend at least three rehearsals plus the final rehearsal to perform.
TICKET INFORMATION
All events are free and open to the public.
Tickets for the Tribute will be distributed beginning at 8:00 a.m. on the day of the event in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House lobby. Registration is required for BAMkids programming. Film tickets will be distributed on a first-come basis.
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