MLK concert held annually at the Kennedy Center for 23 years is relocating
NPR • • entertainment
Key Points:
- The annual Let Freedom Ring concert honoring Martin Luther King Jr., traditionally held at the Kennedy Center for over 20 years, is moving to the historic Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. due to cost-saving measures by Georgetown University, the event's producer.
- Marc Bamuthi, former Kennedy Center artistic director for social impact, criticized holding the event at the Kennedy Center under its current leadership, citing a conflict with Martin Luther King Jr.'s values amid the administration's anti-equity stance and changes in the center's programming.
- Since President Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center in February 2025, new leadership dissolved the social impact division, leading to layoffs including Bamuthi and his team, and a shift away from diversity-focused cultural programming.
