Life’s piano can only produce the melodies of brotherhood when it is recognized that the black keys are as basic, necessary, and beautiful as the white keys. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Welcome to NPR Online’s Web site for "A King Celebration," a companion to Performance Today’s annual special radio event commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King with music. This award winning series unites NPR with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Ebenezer Church Choir, and the renowned Glee Clubs of Morehouse College and Spelman College in Dr. King’s hometown, Atlanta. The celebration was the culmination of a week of concerts, symposia, workshops, and classes honoring Dr. King and the African-American experience in classical music.

Explore our online discussions, information and resources relating to this year’s program, including details on concerts that aired on Performance Today Friday, January 15th and Monday, January 18th, the King holiday. The concert events were narrated by the Reverend Dr. Joseph Lawrence Roberts, Jr., also known as "Pastor Joe". Rev. Roberts is currently pastor at Ebenezer Baptist, the historic church where Dr. King was pastor. Listen as he describes Dr. King’s strong connection with this famous church since boyhood.

In the composers section, you’ll find biographies of the African-American composers featured during the musical events. NPR and the Atlanta Symphony commissioned a new symphonic arrangement of We Shall Overcome by Uzee Brown, Jr., music director at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The world premiere of this arrangement aired on Performance Today on January 18th. Other featured composers included Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, Atlanta native Howard Swanson, and Joseph Schwantner. Your can also hear the complete "King Celebration" symposium on African-American composers in this section.

Listen to Noah Adams of NPR's All Things Considered, as he traces the evolution of "We Shall Overcome", from its roots as a spiritual to becoming an anthem for the Civil Rights movement.

On Thursday January 14th, NPR Online hosted a live chat with Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) to discuss Dr. King's legacy and Lewis' own involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. See the your turn section for more on the chat, and join our ongoing discussion on non-violent social change and music’s role.

Don’t forget to visit the history section for a timeline of Dr. King’s life as well as important classical music milestones for African-Americans. Our resources section provides links to related Web sites, and information on related books and essays.

"A King Celebration" on NPR's Performance Today is made possible by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and the NEA. You can also visit the Woodruff Arts Center's site at www.woodruff-arts.org.