As the rain fell outside, a thoughtful crowd of 200 gathered in the transformed multipurpose room of the W.E.B. DuBois College House last Friday evening. Dimly lit and decorated in the red, black and green of the African American flag, the space invited guests to groove to notes of mellow jazz.
Jazz for King, a 10-year-old Penn tradition, seeks to connect Penn and the West Philadelphia community. Sponsored by the Penn Women's Center, The African-American Resource Center and the DuBois College House, this year's celebration included spoken word by poet James Johnson and live jazz performed by artists Valray and Good Company.
The event culminated the two-week celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Symposium on Social Change, which each year includes service, fellowship, food and activism.
"For us, the holiday wasn't a day off," said Gloria Gay, the night's mistress of ceremonies and associate director of the Penn Women's Center. "It was a day on. We want to celebrate his life with the music he loved."
Local artist Valray joined Lucky Thompson, Good Company's drummer whom everyone knew by name, in warming the crowd. "I think I feel a bop coming on, y'all," she said. As the evening progressed, she drew the crowd in with interactive dancing, pulling members of the audience on stage as backup singers in "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."
Brown's Kitchen catering was a notable feature of the affair. "Taste this," said Pat Holmes, the owner, as she passed cups of her famous mango lemonade. "It'll make you want to slap your mama and write a bad check!"
Though the mood was light, no one failed to appreciate the magnitude of the evening's message. Jazz for King was created to stress the importance of unity, as King himself did, said Robert Carter, executive chair of the 2008 committee.
This year's challenge, Carter said, is for people to model their lives after King's life and MLK - Make Life Kind - for all members of the West Philadelphia Community. "Being genuine is so important these days," he declared, "and being true to yourself."
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