RELEASE: Standing Firm in Rev. Dr. King’s Legacy and Vision: MLK Day 2026 at Kelly Strayhorn Theater
MEDIA CONTACT
Mingsi Ma (she/her)
Marketing Specialist
412-363-3000 x325
Local Community Organizations and Performance Groups Bring Activities and Performances Dedicated to MLK’s Legacy
Collage by Kiearra Williams
East Liberty, PA — Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) brings its annual MLK Day program back on Monday, January 19, titled The Beloved Community: East Liberty’s Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rooted in Rev. Dr. King’s legacy, the celebration gathers artists, neighbors, and changemakers to uplift his vision of justice, compassion, and shared humanity. From 1:00pm – 4:00pm, community partners will activate the KST Lobby with family-friendly activities for neighbors of all ages, alongside a gallery exhibition in the KST Gallery featuring artist Morgan Overton’s work that bridges historical memory and future possibility, asking what becomes possible when the dream is activated together. From 2:00pm – 3:00pm, KST presents local performance groups on stage, highlighting the creativity and voices of local young artists.
Starting at 1:00pm, community organizations take over the KST Lobby with fun, family-friendly arts-and-crafts activities. The participating organizations include True T, ARYSE, Allies for Health + Wellbeing, Healthy Start Inc., and KSci-Art Initiative.
As audiences are invited to view the KST Gallery featuring the temporary exhibition, After the Dream, by multidisciplinary visual artist and Pittsburgh native Morgan Overton. The exhibition highlights Overton’s original works channeling the remembrance of Dr. King’s journey, Civil Rights leaders who helped lead the freedom movement, and Afrofuturist imagery. Overton’s work is described as “a reclamation of history and humanity.” The KST Gallery exhibits her existing works and new pieces created specifically for this event.
KST’s Marketing Specialist Mingsi Ma shares that “KST curates the Youth & Family event as a fun, heartwarming gathering centered on the arts, while also creating a space where families can connect with local organizations for vital resources. In the spirit of MLK’s legacy, we have partnered over the years with community groups to share LGBTQ+, health, social justice, financial literacy, and education resources, always with equity and accessibility at the center.”
From 2:00pm – 3:00pm, the main stage features performances by Hill Dance Academy Theatre, student dancers from ARYSE, and Pastor Deryck Tines and the Lemington Gospel Chorale, with Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz of East Liberty Presbyterian Church guiding the day’s celebration as Emcee. KST has also commissioned local emerging music talent Aryana Kapree to present a new spoken-word work, performed by the artist at the event.
“When I think about MLK, I’m reminded of how we need to keep showing up for one another, especially amid the injustices surrounding our communities,” says KST’s Programming Manager, Sarah Gilmer. “This year’s theme, ‘The Beloved Community’, speaks directly to what KST stands for. For 16 years, our ongoing MLK Day celebration has reflected our dedication to serve as a real welcoming touchpoint in East Liberty.”
Courtesy of Let Freedom Sing
At 7:30pm, the 19th annual Let Freedom Sing Concert celebrates Rev. Dr. King through vocal and instrumental music and spoken word. The concert features vocal selections by The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, the Rodman Street Baptist Church Choir, and acclaimed operatic soprano Zuly Inirio. It concludes with a performance by the intergenerational MLK Festival Choir, directed by Dr. Herbert Jones and Alton Mitchell. WAMO 107.3 radio personality Kiki Jones serves as the celebrity Emcee. Attendees are encouraged to bring a canned good to donate to the EECM Food Pantry.
The Beloved Community: East Liberty’s Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, January 19, 2026 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm Community Partner Activities | 2:00pm – 3:00pm Performance Program
Kelly Strayhorn Theater | 5941 Penn Ave.
Tickets for The Beloved Community: East Liberty’s Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are Pay What Moves You, $0 – $25 per attendee, and can be reserved here.
This event is generously sponsored by Citizens.
Let Freedom Sing Concert
Monday, January 19, 2026 | 7:30pm
Kelly Strayhorn Theater | 5941 Penn Ave.
Tickets for Let Freedom Sing are Pay What Moves You, $2 – $50 per attendee, and can be reserved here.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Aryana Kapree is a singer-songwriter, rapper, dancer and stage actor using songwriting, performance, dance and theater to further her creative pursuits. Aryana has performed at 91.3 FM WYEP’s Summer Music Festival, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, and is a two-time GRAMMY Museum GRAMMY Camp attendee. Aryana is currently a professional ensemble member with Alumni Theater Company and a Saturday Light Brigade – Mind The Gap Fellow.
ARYSE supports immigrant and refugee youth in accessing the resources they need to feel confident, engaged, and celebrated. Through advocacy and out-of-school-time programming that focuses on building skills and a sense of community, ARYSE affirms youth’s identities and works alongside them to achieve their vision for their futures. Visit arysepgh.org to learn more.
Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT), a Pittsburgh Cultural Treasure celebrated 20 years in 2025 as Black dance arts education nonprofit organization located in the Historic Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA., HDAT was founded in 2005 by Ayisha Morgan-Lee, Ed.D. to provide children, youth, and teens, ages 3 to 18, access and opportunity to dance. HDAT trains students in various styles of concert dance, fitness and nutrition, and leadership skills. HDAT’s mission is to provide professional-level training in Black Dance traditions, history, culture, and aesthetics that engages and empowers students to pursue careers in Black dance. www.5678hdat.org
Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz is the Senior Pastor of East Liberty Presbyterian Church—the Cathedral of Hope in Pittsburgh. Ordained in Metropolitan Community Churches and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), he brings more than seventeen years of pastoral leadership dedicated to building creative, inclusive, and transformative communities of faith. Dr. Diaz also serves on the Anti-Racism Transformation Team of the Pittsburgh Presbytery. As a lifelong percussionist, he believes in the power of the arts to help restore joy and strengthen the soul for the work of justice.
Pastor Deryck Tines and the Lemington Gospel Chorale
Pastor Deryck Tines is a gifted pianist and gospel artist, influenced by James Cleveland, Edwin and Walter Hawkins, and Andre Crouch. He is the founding director of the Lemington Gospel Chorale, a regional choir performing traditional gospel throughout Greater Pittsburgh and beyond. His live-recorded debut project We Shall Overcome Someday is available on major platforms. Tines is active across Western Pennsylvania, co-leading Free Holiness Churches and performing at concerts, festivals, and special events. Visit derycktines.com to learn more.
Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The fair market value (FMV) of Suite Life general admission tickets is $75 per Concert ticket and $150 per VIP Suite ticket. The portion of your payment that exceeds the FMV is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary artist Morgan Overton (b.1993) transforms history, identity, and memory into commanding visual narratives, centering the Black American experience through portraiture, abstraction, archival collage, and symbolism. Her work explores ancestral memory, collective liberation, and intergenerational connection. She curated Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh and leads workshops on democracy and human rights. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including the U.S. Capitol Russell Senate Building, Spectrum Miami Art Fair, and the London Art Biennale (2025). Learn more at morganovertonart.com.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Allies for Health + Wellbeing is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that empowers individuals and communities through high-quality integrated medical care and supportive human services. We provide inclusive, holistic care that recognizes each client’s full lived experience, removing financial barriers and stigma to ensure access to the care they need. With nearly 40 years of experience, we build trusting relationships through inclusive primary care, HIV, hepatitis C, and STI testing and care, and gender-affirming services.
ARYSE
See bio above.
Healthy Start Inc. supports women, children, fathers, families, and communities through comprehensive community-based programming, systems coordination, advocacy, research, and training. Our programming spans Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. We are part of a network of more than 100 community-based Healthy Start projects across the United States. Our goal is to make sure all families have access to affordable, quality care to improve maternal and child health outcomes and quality of life. healthystartpittsburgh.org.
KSci-Art Initiative is a mobile therapeutic art and empowerment program that brings creativity and healing directly to communities. Through engaging workshops, hands-on crafts, and meaningful conversations, KSci-Art uses the power of art to promote confidence, connection, and emotional wellness for youth, women, and families. From birthday parties to ladies’ nights, pop-ups in parks to partnerships with schools and teen programs, KSci-Art transforms everyday spaces into safe, creative, and joyful places for expression.
The mission of True T is celebrating queer people of color through creative art, community health, and social activism. Mrs. Tracey Bryant leads True T‘s Unique Jewelry Workshop at KST’s MLK Day! Join us for a hands-on journey, turning raw materials into one-of-a-kind craft jewelry under Mrs. Bryant’s expert guidance. Participants will create stunning masterpieces onsite, ensuring a unique and personalized experience. Don’t miss this chance to unleash your creativity and take home a bespoke work of art. truetpgh.com @truetpgh
ABOUT KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER
Named after 20th century entertainment legends Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn, both natives of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) is a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people. We welcome our home to all who uplift Black, Indigenous, people of color, and queer voices.
KST is an institutional arts anchor in Pittsburgh’s East End that has served the community for more than two decades. Since launching KST Presents programming in ’08, KST has been Black-led, fostering radical imagination for Black and queer arts, culture, and community in Pittsburgh by cultivating BIPOC and/or queer artists, entrepreneurs, and arts administrators, developing their careers, and shifting narratives around Black possibility.