One year ago, the Martin Luther King Junior holiday was commemorated in a traditional way. Monday’s holiday in central Kentucky, is being celebrated differently for a variety of reasons.
For decades, Downtown Lexington has been a gathering spot for the Martin Luther King march. This year, the pre-march gathering will be outdoors, along High Street adjacent to the Central Bank Center. Participants are asked to wear masks and social distance.
There’s no inside program. Lexington born filmmaker Joan Brannon’s documentary, “Fire and Heart: A Blueprint for Liberation” goes online Monday. Brannon said spending time in rural Kentucky and understanding the stereotypes there, she’s able to, quote, “give everybody space.” “I don’t assume anything about you because of what flag you prefer, or what car you drive, or what house you live in or anything. I automatically come to you and meet you as a good person,” said Brannon.
In speaking to longtime and more recent local social activists, Brannon said issues of reclamation, revolution, and restoration are themes of the documentary. The “Fire and Heart: A Blueprint for Liberation” documentary goes live on the MLK Holiday Committee’s YouTube channel at noon.
Here's an extensive interview with Joan Brannon:
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