Antioch Baptist Church's MLK Banquet to Feature Award Winning Author James McBride, Friday, January 9, 2015, Westchester Marriott

Antioch Baptist Church in Bedford Hills will host its annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Banquet in celebration of his life and legacy on Friday, January 9, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the Westchester Marriott Hotel in Tarrytown. The theme for the event is “Dr. King: A Praying Man”.

The keynote speaker for the banquet will be Dr. James McBride, award winning author, musician and screenwriter. His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, is considered an American classic and is read in schools and universities across the United States. His debut novel, Miracle at St. Anna was translated into a major motion picture directed by Spike Lee. His newest novel, The Good Lord Bird, is the winner of the 2013 National Book Award in fiction.

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, is the autobiography of James McBride, first published in 1995; it is also a tribute to his mother. The chapters alternate between James McBride’s descriptions of his early life and first-person accounts of his mother Ruth’s life, mostly taking place before her son was born. McBride depicts the conflicting emotions that he endured as he struggled to discover who he truly was, as his mother narrates the hardships that she had to overcome as a white, Jewish woman who chose to marry a black man in 1942.

The banquet, now in its 37th year, commemorates the work of Dr. King and community members who emulate the attributes of speaking out, helping others and a commitment to “healing the world”.

Banquet tickets are $75 ($85 after January 5). The social hour begins at 7 p.m. and the program starts at 8 p.m. The hotel is located at 670 White Plains Road in Tarrytown.

All are invited to participate. Additional Information is on the church’s website antiochchurch@optonline.net.  PayPal option is available.