2026 MLK Day Observance: Speeches & Gospels

Featuring local Houston gospel performances inspired by Dr. King's iconic speeches
In-person, free drop-in event - no registration required

In honor of MLK Day each year, the Rothko Chapel plays critically influential speeches from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life throughout the day. Listen to the quiet of the Chapel resonate with MLK’s voice accompanied by local gospel choirs inspired by selected speeches.

11am-12pm - "Loving Your Enemies," delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, AL on November 17, 1957 // Musical response performed by Phillip Hall Singers

1-2pm - “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” delivered at Mason Temple, Memphis, TN on April 3, 1968 // Musical response performed by Kenneth Gayle accompanied by Phillip Hall

3-4pm - “The Other America,” delivered at Stanford University, CA, on April 14, 1967 // Musical response performed by Houston Ebony Opera Guild

5-5:30pm - "I Have a Dream," delivered at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C., on August 28, 1963 // Musical response performed by Kenneth Gayle accompanied by Dr. John Cornelius

Artist Barnett Newman’s sculpture Broken Obelisk (1968) on the Rothko Chapel Plaza is dedicated to Dr. King as a reminder of the unfinished work of building beloved community and struggling for justice together.