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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Martin Luther King Jr. Week to begin with New Orleans' own Hot 8 Brass Band Jan. 16

HOUGHTON -- New Orleans’ own Hot 8 Brass Band will present both a lecture and a performance at the Michigan Tech Center for Diversity and Inclusion's Martin Luther King Jr. Week "Dream Celebration" Banquet at 6 p.m. at the Memorial Union Ballroom on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. New Orleans’ own Hot 8 Brass Band will present the Keynote Address at the "Dream Celebration" Banquet at 6 p.m.

The Keynote Address is titled "Tradition, Tragedy, and Hope: A Brief Survey of Brass Music." This free event is a unique opportunity to share not only in a performance but in a piece of America’s ability to survive and thrive. New Orleans’ own Hot 8 Brass Band has epitomized New Orleans street music for over a decade. Founded by Bennie Pete, Jerome Jones, and Harry Cook in 1995, the band has played in traditional Second Line parades hosted each Sunday by a Social Aid and Pleasure Club ever since. Featured on CNN, Nightline, in the New York Times, and most notably in Spike Lee’s Katrina documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, the Hot 8 Brass Band has been part of an important relief project following Hurricane Katrina. Their work with the Finding Our Folk Tour has brought music to evacuee shelters, temporary trailer parks, and communities throughout the US that have provided a temporary home to displaced New Orleanians. This year the band will join us for Michigan Tech’s own Martin Luther King day celebrations by presenting a free lecture, including church and blues music reflecting songs familiar to the southern experience interspersed with stories about the history of New Orleans and Katrina’s impact on the lives of her victims.

A dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. New Orleans’ own Hot 8 will follow this presentation with a performance of their music at 7:30 p.m.

The banquet and performance will be free and open to the public; however, please note that tickets will be required due to limited seating in the MUB Ballroom. Tickets will be available either by contacting Ticketing Operations at (906) 487-2073, at rozsa.tickets.mtu.edu, or at the door. (It is advisable to order tickets in advance of the event.)

The Dream Celebration Banquet is the first event in the week-long celebration, "Honoring the Life, Legacy, and Dream," Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week, January 16 - 20, 2012.

The Dream Celebration Banquet is sponsored in part by the James and Margaret Black Endowment, and the Michigan Tech Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

More events to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week

The second event is on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012: Dream Makers: "Women Who Dare to Dream," and includes lunch and a discussion following the screening of a film honoring women who have played a key role in the social and political movements throughout history. This event is free, and it will take place from Noon - 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Building, Alumni Lounge. Attendees must RSVP by Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, to Lori Weir (llweir@mtu.edu) or call (906) 487-2920.

The final event will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, 2012: Dream Seekers: "Encouraging and Inspiring Future Leaders," a panel discussion by Michigan Tech Alumni. This will be held from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Building, Alumni Lounge.

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