The 8Th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speaker Series Marching on Or Standing Still

The Juilliard School presents

The 8th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speaker Series Marching On or Standing Still

Thursday, January 21, 6:30pm ET

This conversation surrounding Ava DuVernay’s film Selma is moderated by Juilliard professor of ethnomusicology Fredara Hadley and features Morgan Rhodes, music supervisor for Selma, and Calvin Walton, a lecturer in the College of Education at Georgia Southern University. Through an examination of the musical selections of the film, the discussion will center on the importance of storytelling in honoring a critical moment of history. The panelists will also provide their insights on the civil rights movement and its relation to important issues we face today.

The program will begin with a special greeting from Creative Associate Colman Domingo, who portrays Ralph Abernathy, a close friend and mentor of King, in Selma.

The Juilliard School’s Martin Luther King Jr. Week is made possible by the generosity of the late Irene Diamond.

Special thanks to Creative Associate Colman Domingo, Joan Warren, the Liberal Arts department, the Office of Student Affairs, and the many other members of the Juilliard community who helped bring this program to life.

Panelists Morgan Rhodes Morgan Rhodes is a radio programmer (for the Los Angeles stations KCRW and KPFK) turned music supervisor who's worked on film and television projects for almost a decade, including Selma, Bad Hair, OWN’s Queen Sugar, Netflix’s Dear White People, and Hulu’s Woke. She cohosts Maximum Fun’s music podcast Heat Rocks with music writer Oliver Wang.

Calvin Walton Calvin Walton is a lecturer in the Department of Elementary and Special Education at Georgia Southern University. Walton has taught and supported middle and high school students in Baltimore; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Los Angeles County. Additionally, he has substantial experience training and supporting urban teachers through partnerships with Johns Hopkins University and UCLA. His primary research concern is examining the effects that participation in school-based performing arts education programs have on the academic identity development of African American children. His related research interests include improving academic outcomes for children in poverty and helping urban teachers develop culturally sustaining instructional practices. In addition to his work in education, Walton is an actor who has more than 30 years of experience performing onstage and in independent films. Walton has a BA in communications and Black Studies from Oberlin College, an MEd in special education from Coppin State University, and a PhD in urban education from UNC Charlotte.

Moderator Fredara Hadley Fredara Mareva Hadley, an ethnomusicology professor in the music history department at Juilliard, received her PhD from Indiana University. Her area of specialty is African American music and on that subject, she's been published in the Journal of Popular Music Studies, Billboard magazine, and other outlets. She’s worked with Harlem Stage, PBS, and the Kennedy Center on various lecture and programming series. Her ongoing research projects focus on the musical impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and on Shirley Graham DuBois, one of the earliest Black women musicologists and opera composers.