The Beat from Troy Music Hall #52, Make a Difference

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – 1/18/21

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1964, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

This past year has brought many issues into sharp focus. Change is happening, but there is more work to be done. Let’s commit to being an ally and addressing injustice when we see it. It’s hard and sometimes scary, but these small acts will bring real change.

We’re Gonna Have a Good Day

Sweet Honey in the Rock – FREE MLK Performance

Sweet Honey In The Rock: MLK Day Celebration Reclaiming the Beloved CommunityLive Broadcast from Lincoln Center – Sunday, January 17, at 3 PMAccess this free online performance by clicking here.For a dose of hope at this moment marked by rapid change, join Sweet Honey for a celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day grounded in the dual missions of activism and education.

I Believe the Children are our Future

8 Black Youth Climate Activists You Need to KnowClimate activists Isaac Smith, Khristen Hamilton, Dillon Bernard, Nyaruot Nguany, Jerome Foster II, Amari Jackson, Nia Smith, and Vic Barrett are using their voices to speak up for racial justice. Read their stories here.

Resistance Revival Chorus with Rhiannon Giddens

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens sings the lead vocals on the Resistance Revival Chorus‘ cover of folk legend Woody Guthrie’s anthem, a rallying cry as potent and galvanizing today as when he wrote it in 1942. 

Megan Thee Stallion – Protect Black Women

After a recent performance on Saturday Night Live, Megan Thee Stallion received criticism for her statement “Protect Black Women.” She responded with a thoughtful and thought-provoking Opinion piece in the NY Times. Read the full essay and watch the video here.

Gotta Dance!

Prepare to fall down the rabbit hole – watching one video won’t be enough!

Three charming sisters, Norah (12), Yarah (12) and Rosa (10), love to dance and are taking social media by storm. Check out their Youtube channel here, or their Instagram account here.

Some Things to Think About

The Bind of Being FirstIn this article from Harper’s Bazaar,novelist Kaitlyn Greenidge reflects on our cultural fixation with and celebration of firsts, asking: Who never got the chance to try?

Code SwitchA podcast from NPR.”What’s CODE SWITCH? It’s the fearless conversations about race that you’ve been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because we’re all part of the story.”Click here to listen or learn more.