The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a free, ticketed musical tribute, the Let Freedom Ring Celebration. The annual program, part of the Center’s Millennium Stage free daily performance series, features ten-time Grammy Award® winner Chaka Khan and the Let Freedom Ring Choir led by Music Producer Nolan Williams, Jr., on Monday, January 20, 2020 at 6 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
Chaka Khan is one of the world’s most gifted and celebrated music icons. A singer, songwriter, author, philanthropist, and activist, the ten-time Grammy Award® winner has influenced generations of music creators during her four decades as an artist. She has received a steady stream of accolades for both her artistry and philanthropy. Her awards include the Soul Train Legend Award, the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, the Grammy® Honors Award from the NARAS Chicago Chapter, and the World Music Award Lifetime Achievement Award
Georgetown University will present the 18th annual John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award to Sandra Jackson, executive director of House of Ruth. For more than 40 years, House of Ruth has provided safe and stable housing to women and children and families in the D.C. area who have experienced homelessness and abuse. The award is given by Georgetown University to a local individual who exemplifies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Sandra Jackson, executive director of the House of Ruth in Washington, D.C., is a social 
worker by training and at heart. Born and raised in D.C., Jackson has merged her background as a social worker, leader, and collaborator in her role as the executive director at House of Ruth. Since joining in 2013 as the director of operations, and becoming its executive director in 2016, Jackson has brought a new energy to the organization. Under Jackson’s leadership, the House of Ruth has increased its service to women and their children by 31 percent. For more information about this year’s awardee, please visit: www.georgetown.edu/news/house-of-ruth-leader-named-2020-legacy-of-a-dream-awardee.
Free tickets—up to two per person—will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the entrance to the Hall of Nations, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on January 20. Overflow seating will be available at Millennium Stage North (near the Eisenhower Theater) for patrons to view a simulcast of the performance. This performance will be close-captioned and will also be live streamed on the Kennedy Center Facebook and YouTube pages, and on the website at www.kennedy-center.org.
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