WBTT to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A scene from the 2018 celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. PHOTO BY DON DALY PHOTO

SARASOTA, FL – Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe invites the community to celebrate the rich legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a community-wide program. The event, titled “MLK: Celebrating His Legacy in Spoken Word and Song,” will feature re-enactments of Dr. King’s speeches, song and dance. The celebration takes place on Monday, January 21, 7-9 p.m., at the Booker High School VPA Theatre (3201 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota). Program highlights will include excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches and writings, performed by Reverend Charles McKenzie, interspersed with singing and dancing by some of WBTT’s most popular performers. Additionally, the Sarasota County Bar Association Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Booker High School will announce their an nual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest winner, who will present his or her essay.

“For Americans throughout the country and all of us at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy is a significant occasion,”

said WBTT founder and artistic director Nate Jacobs. “At our organization, we promote and celebrate the AfricanAmerican experience. Dr. King’s leadership during the Civil Rights Movement is a major part of that experience and we are proud to honor his enduring legacy.” This program is sponsored by the Dallas & Elizabeth Dort Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Sarasota County Bar Association Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “We are so delighted to be collaborating once again with Booker High School and the Sarasota County Bar Association Diversity & Inclusion Committee, our partners from this past spring’s ‘We Are Sarasota’ event,” said WBTT executive director Julie Leach. “In addition to celebrating the essay contest-winning student, we will have several Booker VPA program students who have been part of our Stage of Discovery Summer Theatre intensive program performing that evening.” Tickets are $35/sponsors (includes preferred seating), $15/adults general admission, $5/ students. For tickets and information, call Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe at 941-366 -1505 or visit www.westcoastblacktheatre.org, “Buy Tickets.”