PR 2007 Feb U2

Shelton State Celebrates “Realizing the Dream 2007” with “King Alive!”

Tuscaloosa – Shelton State Community College, in cooperation with the University of Alabama and Stillman College and “Realizing the Dream 2007” committee will host a performance of “King Alive!” on February 20, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at the First African Baptist Church at 2621 Stillman Boulevard in Tuscaloosa.  The event is free and open to the public.

New York Actor/Writer Craig Alan Edwards powerfully portrays the nation's most memorable, charismatic, and revered civil rights leader in his captivating performance of excerpts from many of King's major speeches, from "I Have a Dream" given during the March on Washington, to King's last public address in Memphis "I've Been to the Mountaintop."

Mr. Edwards' portrayal moves beyond mere recitation of these famous speeches. “King Alive” provides a living, breathing experience of Dr. King's message, transporting the audience back inside those exhilarating, dramatic and fateful events of the sixties! Edwards creates a full, three dimensional characterization of the man, the moment, and the emotional intensity of Dr. King's moving oratory.

A native of Philadelphia, Craig Alan Edwards is an accomplished actor/writer and one of the nation's leading portrayers of Dr. King. After working as a marketing executive for IBM, Mr. Edwards was compelled to pursue a career in film, TV, theatre and writing. Since then, he has performed in a variety of stage productions, movies, television shows and corporate films, and has worked with personalities such as Sean Penn, Woody Allen, Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee, and William H. Macy. He wrote and performs "The Man in Room 306", about the last night in Dr. King's life. Mr. Edwards graduated with honors from Boston University and currently acts, writes and resides in New York City.

Joining Mr. Edwards at the February 20 event will be the Shelton Singers under the direction of Glinda Blackshear and accompanied by Syble Coats and Susan Goode.  Featured soloists will be Omelia Hicks and Justin Oliver.  Hicks is a native of Chicago where she says she just “grew up singing.” She is a member of the Beautiful Zion AME Church.  Oliver, a Tuscaloosa native, has performed with the Tuscaloosa Boy’s Choir and many local children’s theatre productions.

The First African Baptist Church has played a major role in the civil rights movement in Tuscaloosa.  When Rev. T. Y. Rogers Jr. was called to the pastorate of the church, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the sermon at his installation program.  In a March 9, 1964 article in The Tuscaloosa News about his speech, King, continuing his commitment to non-violence, is quoted as saying, “You must work hard but never stoop to violence and hatred in the process. You must be willing to suffer and sacrifice. People will call you rabble rousers and other names because you believe in the brotherhood of man.”

1964 proved to be a turning point in the history of the First African Baptist Church and the community. Rev. Rogers was a dynamic leader, heading the civil rights movement in Tuscaloosa and organizing the Tuscaloosa Citizens for Action Committee and all civil rights meetings were held in the church.

In 2003, the MLK Theatrical Presentation was established as an extension of the MLK Lecture Series and Realizing the Dream Concert. The Committee wanted to include a performing arts component to the series that would compliment both the concert and lecture series. The MLK Theatrical Presentation has featured storytellers and lecturers, Dwe Williams and Steven Hobbs and sponsored a dramatic reading of the works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Rev. Warner Durnell who was accompanied by a jazz trumpeter. The event is presented annually during Black History month and is hosted by Shelton State Community College.