Scholar and actor Marvin Jefferson will perform a living portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Morgridge Commons in Glenwood Springs on Feb. 16. The portrayal will also be livestreamed.
Colorado Humanities and CMC present ‘2024 Black History Live: Martin Luther King Jr.’
Feb. 8, 2024 – Colorado Humanities’ Black History Live program and Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley will present a live portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. available via livestream and at Morgridge Commons in Glenwood Springs on Feb. 16. The public is welcome and encouraged to view the livestream performance or attend the presentation in Glenwood Springs.
February is Black History Month, and to celebrate, CMC is joining with multiple communities statewide that will feature Colorado Humanities’ living-history portrayal of King by scholar and actor Marvin Jefferson. The portrayal will be performed in a Chautauqua format, which is a first-person dramatization of a historical figure. The speaker’s monologue typically runs 40 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of Q&A, first in character and then out of character as the scholar/performer.
Reverend, theologian, and civil and human rights leader, King rose to greatness during the most eventful years of the Civil Rights Movement. From the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56) to the Poor People’s campaign (1967-68), King’s optimism regarding human nature and the worth and dignity of African American people created an everlasting, guiding light for the country’s shared struggle for racial equity and justice.
Jefferson, portraying King, studied acting at the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University, and from 1981 to 1996 was the producer/artistic director of the Ensemble Theatre Company in New Jersey, a professional acting company that he co-founded. Jefferson taught acting for the summer programs at Essex County College, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the Franklin Township Department of Social Services of New Jersey and the Newark School of Arts. He currently teaches acting at Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
“Black History Live: Martin Luther King Jr.” will be held from 1:30-3 p.m. on Feb. 16 at Morgridge Commons, 815 Cooper Ave., 2nd Floor, Glenwood Springs. The presentation is free and open to the public. The presentation will be livestreamed as well on YouTube. Contact Dr. Adrian Fielder or 970-947-8246 for more information.
Colorado Humanities’ Black History Live program is now in its 15th year and honors the struggles, triumphs and contributions of visionaries, and trailblazers who have shaped the tapestry of Black heritage. Colorado Humanities is in its 50th year and works in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit Black History Live for more information about 2024’s statewide program.