An endearing and resonant celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took place at the Saint Louis Art Museum Sunday afternoon. “The Dream Reimagined: Youth Voices Uplifted,” placed the next generation in the spotlight. The tribute highlighted talented youth and the organizations nurturing them, set against the powerful backdrop of images by legendary Civil Rights photographer Moneta Sleet, Jr. Guiding the program’s rhythm and reflection was St. Louis Poet Laureate Pacia Anderson. Her words anchored the afternoon with grace and urgency.
Each performance was introduced by an elaborate poem by Anderson. They took the audience through time, illustrating how the past was a time of constraint for Black intellect and the growth that is allowed when we let the youth play and sing, dance, step and act.
Parents, friends, art instructors and allies filed into The Farrell Auditorium, filling the seats well before the 2 p.m. start time. They were all waiting to see the performances of swinging melodies and heavenly wails from the Cahokia High School Jazz Band and the COCA Allegro concert choir, striking movements from Legacy Roots Dance Ensemble and the Gentlemen of Vision step team, and a thought-provoking scene from the students of Grand Center Arts Academy.
The program began with words from Marcus A. Creighton of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Epsilon Lambda Chapter), who spoke in honor of his fraternity brother Dr. King. Creighton discussed King’s vision and what he would think of the state of our communities. He also interpreted a path to emancipation through King’s eyes.
“Dr. King would urge a pivot from dependence to leverage,” Creighton said. “With cooperative economics, employee owned firms and professional collectives especially in healthcare and education.”
“And targeted consumer discipline” he continued, “not blanket boycotts.” His words were profound, filled with a sense of purpose that resonated with all the listeners in the auditorium.
Creighton was followed by the talents of the young performers. Each performance was introduced by an elaborate poem by Anderson. They took the audience through time, illustrating how the past was a time of constraint for Black intellect and the growth that is allowed when we let the youth play and sing, dance, step and act.
The first performance of the program was a hopeful jazzy medley from the Cahokia Jazz Band. They tackled challenging melodies like “Crazy Race” produced by Roy Hargrove with The RH Factor and “We’re a Winner” by Curtis Mayfield. They added a jazzy flare to each by way of saxophone solos and duets that featured scat singing.
COCA’s Allegro continued with a performance of “The Cloths of Heaven,” a song about dreams that go unfulfilled. The choir sang softly over a piano that would at times back out allowing the choir’s voices to become the music. This heavenly arrangement was followed by a duet singing “Wheels of a Dream.” Their voices carried the hopeful determination of the lyrics and moved the crowd to a standing ovation.
Legacy Roots Dance Ensemble took the stage, making their debut under the artistic direction of its founder Nashayla Montgomery. Starting with a small group jazz number, three ladies personified strength to a mashup of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” and Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) performed by Ella Fitzgerald. They returned to the stage later with a large group Afro-modern fusion number inspired by Katherine Dunham.
When The Gentlemen of Vision marched onto the stage for their portion of the show, they took the energy in the auditorium to a new level. The mentoring organization—known for its 100% high school graduation rate—uses the Black American art form of step as both discipline and cultural expression, and their award‑winning mastery was unmistakable. Their movements created melodies of their own: precise, percussive and deeply intentional. They created shapes and changed formations with ease.
A scene performed by drama students from Grand Center Arts Academy offered the audience a moment of reflection. Their piece explored the long‑standing tension between the “eye for an eye” mindset and the “turn the other cheek” philosophy—a cultural divide that still shapes conversations about justice today. Ultimately, the students suggested that while protest takes many forms, violence remains violence no matter who wields it.
Watching these youth programs pour their hearts into the stage was a grounding, hopeful experience—one that left the audience genuinely optimistic about the future these young artists are already beginning to shape.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
