Artists at “Let Freedom Ring!”, an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration hosted by Georgetown’s MLK Initiative, will not perform on the John F. Kennedy Center stage this year for the first time in the program’s 23-year history.
A university spokesperson told the Voice that the decision to move the event was made in spring 2025 to “protect the university’s financial health amid ongoing challenges.” This comes as national controversies surrounding president Donald Trump’s involvement with the Kennedy Center mount.
This year’s celebration, headlined by actor and musical artist Common, will be held at the Howard Theater. Built in 1910, it is one of the oldest theaters in the country that served both Black artists and audiences during segregation. The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, where “Let Freedom Ring!” has been historically held, has a seating capacity of 2,465, while Howard Theater has a capacity of 600.
“Let Freedom Ring!” honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his commitment to racial justice and equity. Past celebrations have featured performances by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson, Audra McDonald, and Leslie Odom Jr.
The event also features the presentation of The John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award, named for the legendary Hoya men’s basketball coach, which honors “an individual or group that has demonstrated outstanding service in the District.” This year, the award will be presented to Kowshara Thomas of Joseph’s House, a holistic care center for unhoused adults living with HIV/AIDS and terminal cancer.
The Kennedy Center, the event’s former home, has been the subject of widespread discourse over the past year. Less than three weeks into his presidency, Trump ousted the center’s longtime president Deborah Rutter, along with several Democratic appointees to the board of trustees, as the new board named Trump chairman.
In the following weeks, Trump and his new board cancelled performances including the Gay Men’s Chorus and the children’s musical Finn. Other performers have elected themselves to cancel performances, including the producers of the touring production of Hamilton, comedian Issa Rae, Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, and most recently the Washington National Opera.
On Dec. 18, the Trump-led board of directors voted to rename the center to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The decision, which was controversial in its own right, came under more fire when it was reported that ahead of the vote, a new bylaw had been adopted that meant only Trump-appointed board members could vote.
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, the Kennedy Center’s former artistic director for social impact who was laid off after Trump’s takeover and regularly spoke at “Let Freedom Ring!”, told NPR that he thought the decision to move the ceremony, albeit financial, was the right thing to do amidst the current controversy at the center.
“I would much rather that we all be spared the hypocrisy of celebrating a man who not only fought for justice, but who articulated the case for equity maybe better than anyone in American history … when the official position of this administration is an anti-equity position,” he said.
