From musical performances to breakfasts to film, arts and culture groups throughout the region will commemorate Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black history this week.
Free admission
With school out on Monday several museums in the region will honor King with free general admission, including the Western Reserve Historical Society, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center, Akron Art Museum, Akron Zoo and Cleveland Botanical Garden.
‘Hear Our Voices’
The Maltz Museum’s free celebration of King on Monday features Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Shaker Heights native Wesley Lowery, who will discuss his New York Times Bestseller, "American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress." Visitors can also hear about the civil rights movement from the Black Storyteller Association, see ritual objects in the Temple-Tifereth Israel Gallery and explore the special exhibition "The Girl in the Diary: Searching for Rywka from the Lodz Ghetto."
Cleveland Music Settlement
The Cleveland Music Settlement in University Circle holds its annual concert honoring King on Sunday at 3 p.m. Curated by piano and composition instructor Linda Allen, this year's program features faculty, students and special guests from Berea, Kentucky. The event is free, but registration is encouraged due to limited seating.
A day of music at Severance
The Cleveland Orchestra honors King on Monday with a free day of music and open house at Severance. From 12-5 p.m., visitors can enjoy performances by the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Cleveland Association of Black Storytellers, 10K Movement, DJ IamYulissa, Evelyn Wright & the Joe Hunter Trio and more. There will also be a display of King-related books from the Cleveland Public Library and an “I Have a Dream” interactive wall.
Silver screen ‘Selma’
The Stark Library’s DeHoff Memorial Branch hosts a screening of the 2014 film “Selma” on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The historical drama is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by King. The movie stars David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo and Common. This free event includes popcorn and a short discussion after the film.
