Weekend Events: Dreamfest Performances & Lantern Parade
Cary, NC — It’s the weekend before the upcoming holiday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and there’s lots to see and do in remembrance of Dr. King.
Friday, January 14, 2022
Performance: “No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone”
7:30 PM | Cary Arts Center | Tickets
“No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone” is an intimate portrayal of the legendary artist Nina Simone. The live performance is by Howard L. Craft and Directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams, featuring Yolanda Rabun.
The performance gives its audiences insight into Simone’s wide repertoire of music, her life perspective, sense of humor, and sense of duty to people of color. Born “Eunice Kathleen Waymon” in 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone, an American singer-songwriter and musician is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and a hero of the Civil Rights Movement.
For more, visit Yolanda’s website and www.nofearandblueslonggone.com.
Saturday, January 15, 2022
African American Heroes and Sheroes
11 AM | Cary Arts Center | Tickets
Linda Gorham brings to life the stories of the following African American heroes and sheroes whose actions and/or experiences made a positive impact on our country: Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, The Little Rock Nine, Young Barack Obama, and Young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Learning about our nation’s history helps preserve the past, clarify our identities and self-worth, and create empathy for the struggles of those who came before us. For more, visit www.lindagorham.com.
“MLK/FBI” & “Selma” Film Screenings
The Cary Theater | Tickets
Selma Showing at 5 PM
This unforgettable true story chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition.
The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
MLK/FBI Showing at 7:30 PM
MLK/FBI is the first film to uncover the extent of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Based on newly discovered and declassified files, the documentary explores the government’s history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of our most cherished ideals. From Emmy Award winning director Sam Pollard and featuring interviews with Andrew Young, James Comey, Clarence Jones, and more.
Under the Silver Moon Lantern Parade
6 PM | Fidelity Plaza & Down Academy Street
Get ready for this first-ever, fun-filled community event in Downtown Cary! It’s a parade designed for all who want to participate with handmade lanterns and is a collaboration of A River of Light and the Town of Cary.
In addition to the parade, there will be fire spinners, food trucks and live music entertainment from Pants for Birds and One Tribe. For more on the parade, its significance and how to make your own lantern, see the full article here.
Sunday, January 16, 2022
I Am Not Your Negro Film Screening
2 PM | The Cary Theater | Free Ticket Required
Master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, “Remember This House.” The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. “I Am Not Your Negro” is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter.
It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for. Following the film, there will be a Q&A with NC State University professor Dr. Marc Dudley (author “Understanding James Baldwin”) and other guests.
Interfaith MLK Service
3:30 PM | Christ the King Lutheran Church
Clergy from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions will offer prayers and reflections. Guest preacher is Rev. CeCe Mills, an African American Lutheran pastor from Salisbury. The NC State virtual MLK Project will also participate.
Attend in-person at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 600 Walnut Street, Cary (masks required) or participate on YouTube at ctkcary.com/live. All are welcome.
Story by Ashley Kairis photos courtesy of venue and artist websites.
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