Yale Peabody To Observe Dr King’s Birthday

With Two Free Days Of Music, Dance & Poetry

NEW HAVEN — The Yale Peabody Museum will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr on January 18 and 19 with a two-day festival of free events for visitors of all ages.

These include performances by members of the New Haven community and from around the world, interactive displays about environmental and social justice by local organizations, children’s storytelling, and a grand finale drum circle.

Admission to the museum and all events will be free during the festival.

Featured on Sunday, January 18, at 2 pm, will be the annual Arnold J. Alderman Memorial Lecture.

This year’s keynote speaker, Vernice Miller-Travis, will speak on “Environmental Justice: The New Civil Rights Frontier.” A nationally renowned environmental justice advocate, Ms Miller-Travis was recently in charge of the environmental justice program at the Ford Foundation. Before that she directed the Environmental Justice Initiative of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a leading national environmental organization.

A panel discussion immediately following the lecture will feature local decision makers and environmental justice leaders. They will address current issues facing residents of New Haven and neighboring communities.

Sunday’s events will run from noon to 5 pm, and Monday’s events will run from 10 am to 5 pm.

The Peabody Museum of Natural History is at 170 Whitney Avenue in New Haven. Its  museum’s information line is 203-432-5050.

The museum is wheelchair accessible, and handicapped parking is available.

A full schedule of events can be found at    peabody.yale.edu/events.