PHILADELPHIA – The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) announced a full weekend of programming for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, January 13-16.
Hosted in partnership with Citizens Bank, this year’s events will feature in-person activities that celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King and inspire the next generation of civic stewards. For more than 15 years, AAMP and Citizens have partnered to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King with special programming at the Museum.
“Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend is a signature program for AAMP as it provides us with the opportunity to explore his legacy, key principles, and values and align them with themes and activities that are relevant to today. Every year there can be a new approach to important issues and topics,” said AAMP President and CEO Dr. Ashley Jordan.
Themed “Empowering the Next Generation of Dreamers,” the collection of events will highlight the continuum of individual and collective efforts to promote equity, celebrate and facilitate generational advancement, and protect the mental and spiritual well-being of historically oppressed peoples. This year’s celebration will feature a community donation to the local nonprofit Center for Hope, live dance performances from the Philadelphia Ballet, a book signing with renowned photographer Jamel Shabazz, panel discussions, and financial literacy activities. Additionally, throughout the weekend, AAMP will feature image projections of Dr. King.
During the announcement, Citizens Mid-Atlantic President Daniel K. Fitzpatrick presented AAMP with an oversized check for $30,000 on behalf of the Citizens. Thanks to this contribution, all MLK Day (January 16) programming and admission to the Museum will be free to the public, with discounted admission and access to programming on January 14 and 15.
“It is a pleasure to continue our partnership with the African American Museum in Philadelphia and support the 2023 Dr. King Weekend Celebration,” said Citizens Mid-Atlantic President Daniel K. Fitzpatrick. “Every year, the program changes, but the messages of Dr. King’s work – such as community service and equal opportunities – always ring true.”
This year’s Dr. King Weekend at AAMP includes the following programming:
On Friday, January 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., AAMP will host The Big Give Back, where Museum staff, board, and community volunteers will package items to be donated to Philadelphia’s Center for Hope. The Center for Hope, a program of the Urban Affairs Coalition, was established in 2012 to serve the homeless and provides close to 66,000 emergency shelter beds for men and women. The Museum will continue to collect items for donation and monetary donations throughout the month of January. For details on how to donate, visit aampmuseum.org.
On Saturday, January 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., AAMP, in partnership with the Philadelphia Ballet, will host “Day of Dance,” an all-day dance experience featuring ballet and African dance classes for children, performances by PBII dancers and Philadelphia high school students, and a panel discussion – Black Choreographic Voices – featuring national and international dance performers.
On Sunday, January 15, from 2 to 4 p.m., AAMP will host “Love is the Message: An Artist Talk” with award-winning photographer Jamel Shabazz. A documentary, fashion, and street photographer, Jamel Shabazz has used his camera to document everyday life throughout America and abroad for more than 45 years. In his talk, the “Creative Process,” Shabazz will focus on his two newly released books, “Jamel Shabazz: Albums,” and the revision of his 2005 “A Time Before Crack,” as well as his work that is currently on display at the Museum in the exhibition, “Vision & Spirit: African American Art – Work from the Bank of America Collection.”
On Monday, January 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., AAMP, in partnership with Citizens, will offer free admission to the Museum. The Museum will host a life-sized, interactive financial literacy activity hosted by Teana Sykes, founder, and creator of Tea Talk, for children and families to participate in while visiting the Museum.
Currently on display at AAMP is “Vision & Spirit: African American Art | Works from the Bank of America Collection,” an exhibition that has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in our Communities® program and features a collection of nearly 100 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and mixed-media works by 48 renowned African American artists born in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The exhibition, which spans two gallery spaces, focuses on these talented individuals’ strength and spirit as creative forces whose work continues to shape our understanding of the world. “Vision & Spirit” will be on display until February 19, 2023.
Also on display in the Jack T. Franklin Auditorium is “Beloved – Habibi,” a photography exhibition featuring work by North Philadelphia artist Karim Brown. A visual study that examines Black boyhood and manhood in the unique neighborhoods of North Philadelphia, Brown combats the stereotypical and often ambiguous narrative of Black men in inner cities, inspired by W.E.B DuBois’ famed question, “how does it feel to be a problem?”
For more information on the 2023 Dr. King Jr. Weekend at AAMP and to purchase admission, visit aampmuseum.org.
About the African American Museum in Philadelphia
Founded in 1976 in celebration of the nation’s bicentennial, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first institution funded and built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. The mission of the Museum is to bring together diverse communities in greater appreciation of the Black experience through the combined narrative of art, history, and culture. Throughout its evolution, the Museum has objectively interpreted and presented the achievements and aspirations of African Americans from pre-colonial times to the current day.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $224.7 billion in assets as of September 30, 2022. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, and institutions.
Citizens help its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas, and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center, and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,200 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management, and small business offerings.
In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including: lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate, and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities.
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