WNYC and The Apollo present: MLK: The Pan Africanist

Now in its 20th year, WNYC’s annual celebration honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. returns to The Apollo at the Victoria Theater on Sunday, Jan. 18 with “MLK26: The Pan-Africanist — Restitution & Reconciliation in a Global State of Emergency.”

This landmark anniversary event explores King’s enduring impact through the lens of his 1957 journey to Ghana, where he witnessed the birth of a free African nation and deepened his commitment to global liberation. Anchored in that historic moment, the program traces King’s vision alongside the modern call for justice reflected in the National Urban League’s “Civil Rights: State of Emergency” report.

Through conversation, performance and reflection, this year’s gathering connects the struggle against colonialism and segregation to today’s fights for equity, freedom and dignity across the African diaspora. Together, we examine restitution and reconciliation not as distant ideals, but as urgent imperatives — linking Accra to Atlanta, and the global past to our shared present.

The event will feature WNYC’s Michael Hill, Janae Pierre and Brian Lehrer, along with WQXR’s Terrance McKnight.