Hudson County Community College (HCCC) invites everyone in the community to attend a professional production of the play, The Meeting by Jeff Stetson. The performance is scheduled for Thursday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m. in the Collegeâ€s Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City – two blocks from the Journal Square PATH Transportation Center. There is no charge for admission.

The Meeting centers around a fictional 1965 meeting between Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X in a hotel room located in Harlem. The play was initially televised in 1989 on the PBS Series, American Playhouse. The Meeting presents a spirited debate between Dr. King and Malcolm X – both iconic leaders and legendary figures committed to civil rights and the empowerment of African-Americans – and highlights their differing perspectives on how to effectively advance and improve the lives of African-Americans.

In this production, the cast includes: Jeff Robinson, a graduate of Berklee College of Music who is an actor, director, playwright, poet, and award-winning saxophonist, composer and radio DJ, as Dr. King; Wesley Lawrence Taylor, a graduate of New Theatre Conservatory who studied voice at Linklat Studio, and has appeared in a variety of roles in theaters throughout the U.S. East Coast, as Malcolm X; and London-native Michael Nurse, who has appeared in Glory, Mystic River, Field of Dreams and other films, as Malcolm Xâ€s bodyguard Rashad.

Tickets for The Meeting may be reserved at http://hcccthemeeting.eventbrite.com.

The Meeting is presented as part of the HCCC Cultural Affairs programming, which began last fall. The spring series also includes art, special events marking the communityâ€s diversity, film screenings, lectures, and book club meetings; there are also day/cultural trips offered at reduced prices. Complete information on this seasonâ€s offerings can be found at www.hccc.edu/cultural-affairs.

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The post Hudson County Community College to Host a Live Performance of The Meeting on March 31 first appeared on River View Observer.

A non-stop celebration of Song and Culture In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and In Celebration of Black History Month

 

“Mesmerizing, Beautiful and Phenomenally Resonant” 

 

“Their brilliance lies in their clean voices”

“The public will be blown away”

Bronx, NY – Lehman Center for the Performing Arts delivers a world of internationally acclaimed performances to the Bronx highlighting South Africaâ€s Soweto Gospel Choiron Saturday, February 15^th, 2014 at 8pm in their 10^th Anniversary National Tour. This choir is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences from around the world and this special concert in the Bronx is dedication to  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for Soweto Gospel Choir  on Saturday, February 15^th, at 8pm start at $25 | Children 12 and under $10 for any seat, and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert), or through online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. All students, senior citizens, Lehman College alumni and CUNY staff and faculty receive $5 discount per ticket. Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low cost on-site parking available for $5.

The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in November of 2002 to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music and has become an overnight, multi award-winning sensation.  The 26-strong choir, under the direction of David Mulovhedzi, Diniloxolo Ndlakuse, and Kevin Williams, draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto.

On February 11, 2007, the Soweto Gospel Choir received its greatest accolade, a Grammy Award for their second CD “Blessed”, in the category Best Traditional World Music.  The choir has performed for their Patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Nelson Mandela, and many United States presidents.  Their guest appearances include NBCâ€s Today Show as well as on Late Night with Conan Oâ€Brien.  The choir has also made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and in December 2006 they performed at Sun City, South Africa, for Oprah Winfrey and 200 of her V.I.P. guests, including Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Sydney Poitier and Quincy Jones.

To add to their string of national and international awards, in November 2007 Soweto Gospel Choir won a Metro FM Music Award for Best Gospel Album for African Spirit, based on nominations submitted by the radio stationâ€s listeners, and the public.  In February 2008, the choir was awarded a second Grammy Award for their third albumAfrican Spirit, in the Best Traditional World Music category.

The choir has toured the world extensively, performing at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, the Nelson Mandela Theatre and Royal Festival Hall in London, and at the Edinburgh Festival, the Adelaide Festival, the Hong Kong Festival, and the London Festival.

In December 2008 the Choir received its third Grammy nomination in the category of Best Contemporary World Music for their album, Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre.

Most recently, the Choir became an Ambassador for Nelson Mandelaâ€s 46,664 campaigns.

This event is made possible through the generosity of New York State Assembly Member José Rivera.

 

Lehman Center is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council.  The 2013-2014 season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, JPMorgan Chase, Con Edison and through corporations, foundations and private donations.

The post SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR AT LEHMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS – Saturday, February 15th at 8 PM first appeared on River View Observer.

The Famed Civil Rights Leader Will Address Class of 2010 on Thursday, May 27

 

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Founder and President of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and one of the most revered leaders in America’s civil rights movement, has been engaged to speak at the graduation of Hudson County Community College’s Class of 2010. The College’s Commencement exercises are scheduled to take place on the evening of Thursday, May 27, 2010 in the Prudential Hall at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ.

“We are honored that Reverend Jackson has accepted our invitation to speak at the College’s 32^nd Annual Commencement exercises,” said Hudson County Community College President Dr. Glen Gabert. “Reverend Jackson is a world leader who has played an iconic role in our country’s history. Fostering a commitment to academic excellence among U.S. citizens and world leaders has been a cornerstone of his work.”

Dr. Gabert said that the College anticipates conferring associate degrees on at least 700 students at this year’s exercises.

Hudson County Community College has experienced record enrollment numbers each semester for the past several years, with the number of students skyrocketing from 7,000 in 2007, to nearly 9,000 for the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 semesters.

The College’s enrollment growth is being met by a $147.7 million capital expansion and improvement program that will be fully realized within the next year.

Complete details on the College’s 2010 Commencement Exercises will be made available in the upcoming weeks.

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The post Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. to Deliver Keynote Speech at Hudson County Community College 2010 Graduation Exercises first appeared on River View Observer.