<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Arial"><b><i>"The questions is not if we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.  Will we be extremists for hate or love?"</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Arial"><font size="1">Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Last year's Dr. King Challenge charged-up Saratoga Springs and launched an amazing weekend of community gathering, sharing, and celebrating ... and 2018's event is shaping up to be stronger, bolder and even more provocative - intellectually and artistically!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><i>The Dr. King Challenge</i> -- </span><span style="font-family:Arial"> an energizing evening of powerful micro-performances in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King</span><span style="font-family:Arial"> -- opens </span><b style="font-family:Arial">MLK Saratoga</b><span style="font-family:Arial">'s annual 4-day Community Celebration ... which means we need <b>YOU</b>, the artists and performers of the Capital District region!! </span><span style="font-family:Arial">Spoken word, slam poetry, rap, song, dance -  we are looking for a variety of short pieces (</span><i style="font-family:Arial">5 min. max</i><span style="font-family:Arial">) that express the critical, "in-our-face" reality that </span><u style="font-family:Arial"> <i><b>Climate Change / Climate Justice is THE Human Rights Issue of our Time</b></i></u><span style="font-family:Arial"><i><b>.</b></i>  In the words of Hip Hop Caucus's Rev. Lennox Yearwood, </span><span style="font-family:Arial"><i><b>“Racial Justice and Climate Justice is the same thing.</b>"</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><i><br></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">>> We are crafting a fluid & inclusive event with clear, intentional messaging.  To that end, we welcome all submissions for consideration!   Please include your name(s), contact email & cell number, title & author of work, and summary of the piece’s content/message by <u>November 30th</u> to:  </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(56,110,255)"><a href="mailto:Dr.KingChallenge@gmail.com">Dr.KingChallenge@gmail.com</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><u>EVENT INFO</u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">2018 Dr. King Challenge:  </span><u style="font-family:Arial">Friday, January 12th, 2018</u><span style="font-family:Arial">, in Saratoga Springs, NY (venue TBD). </span><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Programming Co-Chairs:  Garland Nelson & Lezlie Dana</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Website:  <a href="http://www.mlksaratoga.org/">www.mlksaratoga.org</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">FB:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MLK.Saratoga/">MartinLuther King, Jr. Project of Saratoga Springs</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Contact:  Lezlie Dana 518-852-3859</span><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46)"><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">*"... It is mostly poor people of color in the U.S. and around the globe who are feeling the impact from climate change, through increases in heat-related illnesses and deaths, rising energy costs, and of course natural disasters ..."</span></i></b></font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46)"><b><i><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">"</span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">The biggest target of climate change and pollution is communities of color. Polluters have been able to locate their facilities in our communities by promising jobs that never come to fruition and by lying about the deadly health impacts of their pollution.”</span></font></i></b></p><p style="text-align:right;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46)"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" size="1"><span style="background-color:rgb(247,248,248);color:rgb(0,0,0)"><b>Reverend Lennox Yearwood,  <a href="http://hiphopcaucus.org/">HipHop Caucus</a></b></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46);font-family:-apple-system,system-ui,arial,sans-serif"><b>More Exploration:</b></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46);font-family:-apple-system,system-ui,arial,sans-serif">Music Video:  <a href="https://youtu.be/qDUY3eXv-UY">Trouble in the Water</a> - (Common, Malik Yusef, Kumasi ft Aaron Fresh, Choklate, Laci Kay)</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46);font-family:-apple-system,system-ui,arial,sans-serif">Music Video:  <a href="https://youtu.be/Onyk7guvHK8">Stand Up Stand N Rock #NoDAPDL</a>  <font size="1">(Taboo)</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46);font-family:-apple-system,system-ui,arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-lennox-yearwood/tears-from-heaven-dr-king_b_183183.html">Tears from Heaven:  Dr. King Would Want Climate Justice</a> <span style="font-size:16px"> </span><font size="1">(Rev, Lennox Yearwood, Huffington Post; 2009)</font></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46);font-family:-apple-system,system-ui,arial,sans-serif"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj1ltTKmKDWAhUI64MKHeirAEsQtwIIMzAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsabW5PgUoY4&usg=AFQjCNEcOBtZgYv295xwcr_bAiZ7uQ-o5g">Mobilizing for Climate Justice with Reverend Yearwod</a> <font size="1">(57:29 min</font>)</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.8em;color:rgb(23,41,46);font-family:-apple-system,system-ui,arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://projectearth.us/the-hip-hop-caucus-is-giving-voice-to-the-environment-t-1796423042">The Hip Hop Caucus is giving voice to the environment this election</a> <font size="1">(Project Earth; 11/16)</font></p></div>