MLK weekend has returned. This year, it would’ve been his 96th birthday this past January 15th. When you give it a moment, it’s wild to think about! Some of us have grandparents that were born the same year as him, 1929. (My maternal grandmother is one of them!) I just hope very deeply that MLK and all of his contemporaries are proud of the activists today trying to do right amongst so much hostility around us. But there is so much good too happening. We saw that with the massive donations that occured in California after the horrible wildfires. ❤
Fittingly, considering the weekend, I had a chance to check out the Edges of Ailey exhibit at The Whitney Museum of American Art with a friend! The exhibit is described as the “first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, influences, and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey.”
I’ve known of Ailey for years and have long admired his legendary dance company The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Pre-pandemic, I saw the dance theater when it came to Boston. I was gifted a ticket and it was a treat! It felt very bucket-list being in my seat, watching all of the beautiful moves and sways of the dancers. I’m so glad the dance theater, that Ailey began in 1958, was still around then and as of 2025 is still with us. I feel like dance is so underappreciated when it comes to our larger understanding of the impact of the arts. Like we know how much music and film mean to us. But what about dance? Yet, there is a place for it and its fans and aspiring talent are why we’re still dancing today as a beautiful form of self and collective expression.
What was so cool in addition to the archival Ailey footage and items, there were a ton of artworks, letters, and books from Ailey contemporaries such as Langston Hughes and James Baldwin, and a lot of artwork, mainly paintings and drawings from artists that worked during Ailey’s lifetime and present-day.
Watching the dancing of the past was also quite moving as well, as past performances played on loop above us.
Edges of Ailey was also very easy to digest! I’ve been to exhibtions that were overwhemingly expansive and after awhile, I just wanted to be done. No matter how much of a fan I was of the subject or figure(s).
(Example: the jewels exhibition I saw at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. OMG, I actually had to take a break at one point because I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t reached the end yet).
The Whitney curated a beautiful tribute to the legacy of Alvin Ailey and his dance company and how he was part of a greater movement of black artists bringing black talent and stories to the forefront and how intertwined they all were for a greater mission. Another winning showcase at The Whitney!
Recently, I also had the beauty of two friends, in separate settings, offer safe spaces for us to talk life and I’m grateful that we were not only heard, but also understood in ways that allowed us to be fully human. It’s not always easy for us to divulge sometimes, no matter how much the wellness movement pushes speaking up and reaching out for help. But I suppose when we do share, it’s because our bravery is supported. I also wasn’t coerced or pressured to share and they didn’t feel entitled. We are allowed to keep things to ourselves and to share when we are ready too, I feel. But I hope whenever we speak up, we’re (lovingly) better off.
With one of those friends, we recently saw Boyz II Men too! They performed their hits and unexpected covers of songs like Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven.” It was really awesome to hear their classics from the II album era and it was a packed house! Gen X and millennials were in the building (my people).
I really wish that included on the setlist was “Let It Snow” (one of my favorite holiday tracks) and the mama song from Soul Food. But they did end up with “Motownphilly,” which was great. It was especially awesome to see Boyz II Men in Boston because the quartet now trio were directly inspired by Boston’s own New Edition and ’til this day are friends with New Edition and New Kids on the Block and are always giving both groups their flowers, which is really touching.
Overall, their vocals were great, the vibes were nostalgic, and their white fits were sharp!
I actually forgot how much I loved their track “Water Runs Dry,” and the house was definitely brought down when they performed “One Sweet Day.” In the moment, I was reminded me of how outrageously snubbed the track with Mariah Carey was back at the 1996 Grammy Awards. (The competition was stacked too: “Kiss from a Rose,” “You Oughta Know”).
Tomorrow will be actual MLK Day! Be sure to say thank you to the woman that began the campaign to get his birthday recognized as a national holiday, the angel on earth, Coretta Scott King.
Lavish Rebellion [DOT COM] 
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