CLEVELAND, Jan. 4, 2024: Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) will host a celebration of the annual birthday observance of Martin Luther King Jr., continuing a tradition that began in 1977, six years before the federal government designated a day to honor King.
This year’s event returns to Playhouse Square.
The 47th annual celebration takes place from 2:30 ̶ 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14, at the KeyBank State Theatre (1519 Euclid Ave.). The remembrance will feature a musical performance by Grammy Award-winner BeBe Winans, along with student performances by Tri-C’s Creative Arts Dance Academy and The Cleveland Chorale.
During the event, two Tri-C students will present essays that reflect on a quote from King’s 1965 commencement address at Oberlin College: “The time is always right to do what is right.” The two essayists are Amulya Tiralapuram, a student government senator and Phi Theta Kappa member who hopes to work in health care, and Tatiana Raudales, a student in the Illustration program who hopes to transfer to a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree in English with an art studio minor.
The event will also recognize 12 Tri-C students for their scholarships from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Scholarship Fund, established in 1987, and the Cleveland Teachers Union Endowed Scholarship Fund, established in 1995.
“Tri-C was founded on the idea of accessible education, which was a significant part of Dr. King’s hopes and dreams,” Tri-C President Michael A. Baston said. “He believed that everyone should have a path toward a broad education to build relationships across racial lines, have a beloved community and make a life for themselves. We come together to honor his memory and continue his work.”
For more information or to watch a livestream, visit the MLK Annual Birthday Observance website (tri-c.edu/MLK2024).