On January 19, the Kennedy Center turned into a down-
home Baptist Church as Aretha Franklin performed some
soulful spirituals during Georgetown University’s Let
Freedom Ring King Holiday concert before a packed
Concert Hall. Nuttin’ But Stringz, two violin-playing
brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar, warmed the audience
with their energizing blend of classical and contemporary
music. Marian Wright Edelman received the Coach John
Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award and eloquently laid
out her dream for America’s children. But it was Aretha’s
appearance that led people to wait in line for 10 hours in
Washington, D.C.’s cold for a free ticket to the event. And
while she did perform ‘Chain of Fools,’ Aretha spent most of
her performance lending new meaning to old spirituals and
reflecting on the times that Martin Luther King Jr. sat in her
parents’ kitchen talking to her father, a minister who was
also a member of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference. It was a reverent tribute to Martin Luther King
Jr. and the roots of the civil rights movement.
home Baptist Church as Aretha Franklin performed some
soulful spirituals during Georgetown University’s Let
Freedom Ring King Holiday concert before a packed
Concert Hall. Nuttin’ But Stringz, two violin-playing
brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar, warmed the audience
with their energizing blend of classical and contemporary
music. Marian Wright Edelman received the Coach John
Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award and eloquently laid
out her dream for America’s children. But it was Aretha’s
appearance that led people to wait in line for 10 hours in
Washington, D.C.’s cold for a free ticket to the event. And
while she did perform ‘Chain of Fools,’ Aretha spent most of
her performance lending new meaning to old spirituals and
reflecting on the times that Martin Luther King Jr. sat in her
parents’ kitchen talking to her father, a minister who was
also a member of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference. It was a reverent tribute to Martin Luther King
Jr. and the roots of the civil rights movement.
| Georgetown University’s Let Freedom Ring at the Kennedy Center A spiritual salute to Martin Luther King |