For poet DS Will, performing in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. is an honor in itself.
Durham Parks and Recreation’s upcoming event "MLK: Remembering the Legacy through the Arts" will celebrate his life on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the W.D. Hill Recreation Center. It is free and open to the community.
This event aims to celebrate and remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through different artistic media, but it’s also fun for the community, said Kelsey Warren, recreation specialist.
“I hope that this event will bring out different types of people from different walks of life, ages, races and backgrounds to see the amount of talent that is in the area, see the resources that are available to people in the community and see the things that Dr. King fought for,” Warren said. “I feel like this is a salute to Dr. King as well as a view of the future and how far we’ve come and where we’re going.”
Included in the lineup is the poetry organization Press Play Poetz. The organization aims to provide lesser-known poets with a wider audience, Will said.
Press Play Poetz has been attending this event for multiple years and hopes to highlight the importance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages, said Sherita “Free the Poet” Freeman.
“We hope to honor him in bringing awareness to some of the main points that he wanted people to understand,” Freeman said. “Bringing the importance of unity and working together and uplifting one another so that his true legacy can be fulfilled and continue to touch those that may know nothing about him and what he stood for.”
Although Martin Luther King Jr. died in 1968, his message remains strong and it’s important to remember the sacrifices he made, Will said.
“As time progresses, it may be more difficult for individuals who were recently born to be able to understand the validity of what he did because they’re enjoying the fruits of his labor,” Will said. “It’s very important to always know where you came from and that’s why we should honor all of our heroes who made the sacrifice for us to be able to live comfortably and for us to grow.”
