MSU jazz concert celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. with ‘prayer and protest’

Bryce Airgood, Lansing State Journal
·1 min read
Rockelle Whitaker performs "I wish I knew How it Would Feel to Be Free" at Michigan State's Fairchild Theatre Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. She was accompanied by the MSU Jazz Orchestra ll to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
Rockelle Whitaker performs "I wish I knew How it Would Feel to Be Free" at Michigan State's Fairchild Theatre Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. She was accompanied by the MSU Jazz Orchestra ll to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

EAST LANSING − Michigan State University’s College of Music celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. this year with its concert Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest.

The free commemorative concert, which tickets were no longer available for by Sunday morning, was held at the Fairchild Theatre to celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. and featured MSU Jazz orchestras and special guests.

The concert was part of MSU’s 43rd Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, “Living Purpose, Promise, and Perseverance Now.”

Guest artist Kris Johnson performs at the Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest concert at Michigan State's Fairchild Theatre Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
Guest artist Kris Johnson performs at the Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest concert at Michigan State's Fairchild Theatre Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

The MSU celebration will continue with a 2023 MLK Commemorative March in East Lansing on Monday, beginning at MSU’s Beaumont Tower at 9 a.m. and concluding at the MSU Multicultural Center.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan will host its annual Day of Celebration in Lansing at 11 a.m. Monday at the Lansing Center, 333 Michigan Ave., and several nonprofits, including the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing and the Allen Neighborhood Center, will host day of service events to honor King.

Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.

The MSU Jazz Orchestra ll and guest artist Kris Johnson perform at the Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest concert at Michigan State's Fairchild Theatre Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.
The MSU Jazz Orchestra ll and guest artist Kris Johnson perform at the Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest concert at Michigan State's Fairchild Theatre Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State University celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. with jazz concert