World House Opening Reception

Reception and Performance by Blues Alley Youth Jazz Ensemble - 6:00 - 6:30 pm

Discussion with Randy Weston & Willard Jenkins - 6:30 - 7:15 pm

Q&A - 7:15 - 7:30 pm

Closing and Post Reception 7:30 - 8:00 pm

Introduction by John Franklin, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African American History & Culture

featuring, NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston & Arts Educator Willard Jenkins talking about their book, African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston.

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The Humanities Council of Washington, D.C. presents its biennial World House International Symposium.  The theme of the 2012 Symposium is, Voices of Change, Sounds of Freedom.  The symposium will examine the ways in which music expresses cultural identity, is used as a tool for diplomacy, and has the ability to promote culture and freedom by bringing people together through a universal musical DNA.   Musical genres: Calypso, Classical, Jazz and D.C.’s native sound Go-Go will be explored. 

The World House Symposium was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final chapter, “World House” from his last book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?  In this chapter, Dr. King espouses how individuals with different cultural and religious backgrounds, interest, and ideals must live with each other in peace.

As such the council hopes to engage Washingtonians with the global community around issues that are important on both a local and an international scale. Each session is designed to help us understand what is being done to actualize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision of a "World House" in which all nations and peoples put aside difference and work toward a common good.