A memorial program was held yesterday evening in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The program lasted approximately two hours and was the product of a collaborative sponsorship by MLK & Friends Club, the Dean of Students and the department for African and Afro-American Studies. This is the ninth annual commemorative program that the University has hosted on the federal holiday.

Called "For the Love of a Dream!"-a title that borrows words from King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech-the program included an array of artistic performances and oratory pieces.
Dean of Students Jamele Adams provided an introduction for the evening, reciting a passionate original slam poem and introducing the host of the program Prof. Chad Williams (AAAS). In attendance was a full house of students, faculty, guest performers and members of the greater Brandeis community.

Williams provided historical perspective to King's political activism as a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, sharing details about King's personal, academic and professional experiences in between speakers and performers. Williams related these details to King's connection to the greater Boston area.

King received his Ph.D. from Boston University in 1957 and visited Brandeis to speak on three separate occasions: once in 1956, 1957 and 1963. "He knew why he was needed during his all-too-short life," Williams told the audience.

The lineup of performances began after Williams' introduction, with a three-part tap-dance routine by members of the Boston Tap Company.

Following the performance, Brandeis' MLK & Friends Club spoke to the audience, relaying how the scholarship program the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, that inspired the formation of the club began in 1969 to appease student protesters inspired by King's teachings.

The first ever cohort of Brandeis Bridges Fellows, a group of 10 black and Jewish undergraduate students, then took to the stage. Members of the group traveled to Israel in December 2013,-accompanied by Adams and the University's Jewish Chaplain, Rabbi Elyse Winick '86,-completing an itinerary that they created in order to learn about interfaith and interracial tolerance. Bridges Fellow Amaris Brown '16 spoke to the audience about the group's experiences and related its mission to King's values.

The performances continued with a vocal performance by Makalani Mack '16, who sang "A Change is Gonna Come," a song by musician Sam Cook.

Williams then introduced the event's keynote speakers, Hubert and Jane Sapp, who featured a storied legacy of civil rights activism. Jane Sapp conveyed her joy at the commemoration to the audience and performed two songs that were anthems of civil rights rallies in the 1960s.

Before her second song, she told the audience, with a hopeful tone, "We need you young people more than ever."

Mr. Sapp shared stories of his experience as a special assistant to King in 1967, and, additionally, alluded to King's personal commitment to his activism. King's work, he said, inspired his own lifelong activism.

The evening ended with a performance by hip-hop dance group KAOS Kids and an oration of King's "I Have a Dream" speech by Jermaine Hamilton '14. Bronte Velez '16 also delivered an especially moving original slam poem chronicling her encounters with racism throughout her life and discussing how King's philosophy inspires her today.

-Ellie Benjamin contributed reporting.