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Up To Date

Seg. 1: East High Students On Mayoral Debate (R). Seg. 2: JCCC Hosts Musical Salute to MLK.

Michael Rubenstein
/
damiensneed.com
Pianist, composer, arranger, vocalist and producer Damien Sneed is the musical director of "We Shall Overcome: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."

Segment 1: Kansas City mayoral candidates face future voters in student-hosted debate. 

Last December students at Kansas City East High School asked mayoral hopefuls about issues concerning violence, policing, and economic development in their communities. Now that the race is in full swing, we revisited our conversation with three of the student organizers of that debate to hear how they spent a semester organizing the event and their impressions of the candidates.

  • Denisse Martinez, junior at East High School
  • Damion Singhakhoune, junior at East High School
  • Benoit Bilombele, junior at East High School

Segment 2, beginning at 22:03: Composer Damien Sneed's 36-city 'We Shall Overcome' tour is coming to Johnson County Community College. 

Musical artist Damien Sneed is celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's 90th birthday in a big way. He's put together a multi-genre show that blends gospel, jazz, and popular music interwoven with the words of Dr. King for a performance one reviewer called "a concert of black musical excellence to exalt and uplift." Today, Sneed discussed his musical history and his reasons for creating the program. 

Damien Sneed's "We Shall Overcome: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr" featuring the Kansas City Boys Choir and the Kansas City Girls Choir, 7p.m. Sunday at Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd. Overland Park, Kansas 66210. Call: 913.469.4445 or visit www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter  for more information.

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.