MLK concert held annually at the Kennedy Center for 23 years is relocating

"Let Freedom Ring, an annual concert in Washington, D.C., celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr., has been a signature event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for more than 20 years. Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan have performed, backed by a choir made up of singers from D.C. area churches and from Georgetown University, which produces the event. But this year's event, headlined by actor and rapper Common, will not be held at the Kennedy Center."

"Georgetown University says it is moving Let Freedom Ring to D.C.'s historic Howard Theatre in order to save money. For Marc Bamuthi, it wouldn't make sense to hold it at the Kennedy Center this year. Until March 2025, Bamuthi was the Kennedy Center's artistic director for social impact, a division that created programs for underserved communities in the D.C. region. He regularly spoke at the MLK Day event."

"Composer Nolan Williams Jr., Let Freedom Ring's music producer since 2003, also says he has no regrets that the event is moving. "You celebrate the time that was and the impact that has been and can never be erased. And then you move forward to the next thing," said Williams. This year, Williams wrote a piece for the event called "Just Like Selma," inspired by one of King's most famous quotes, "The arc of the moral univ"

Let Freedom Ring is an annual Washington, D.C. concert celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., produced by Georgetown University with a choir drawn from D.C. churches and Georgetown. The event has featured Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan and was held at the Kennedy Center for more than 20 years. Georgetown moved the event to the Howard Theatre to save money. Marc Bamuthi, former Kennedy Center artistic director for social impact, declined to support a Kennedy Center location after program cuts and layoffs. President Trump criticized past Kennedy Center programming, appointed new leadership, and dissolved the social media division. Composer Nolan Williams Jr. wrote a piece titled "Just Like Selma" for the event.

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