Can You Hear God Crying

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month.

Monday, February 27
7:00 p.m.
Musser Auditorium, The Conference Center Building
Free and open to the community.
Light refreshments will be served.
Pre-registration required.

To register, click here.

A poignant and powerful performance written by acclaimed musician and composer Hannibal Lokumbe. The evening will include a performance by Lokumbe and soloist Valerie Ray.

A fusion of West African prayers, songs, and rhythms, the music represents "The Middle Passage" experienced by African slaves who were taken from their homes in Africa and transported to North America. Lokumbe will also discuss his literacy work in prisons teaching incarcerated individuals, primarily African Americans, about the Middle Passage to engage them in journal writing about their hopes and plans for the future. The program brings music, literacy, and a voice to many incarcerated individuals who have had limited educational experiences and seek to improve their lives as they reenter society at large.

In addition, John King, lecturer at Temple University and Villanova University, will contextualize Lokumbe’s work by discussing the overrepresentation of African Americans in the U.S. prison system and its significance to communities.