WS Chronicle

On Friday, Feb. 8, the second-ever presentation of “Union: A Musical” will be performed at The Stevens Center in Winston-Salem.

This new musical, written by Gregory Thompson and Amish Baraka, is about the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 and how the local community and others, including Martin Luther King Jr. responded, fighting toward humane working conditions and forming a “more perfect union.”

The Union Council, a group of Winston-Salem locals who have spent the past several months planning, strongly believed that this musical is more than just a performance and has scheduled a Forum of Faith and Culture following the performance to bridge the hard topics discussed with work being done on the ground in our community and continued dialogue opportunities. The forum will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a community lunch to follow for the first 400 people to sign up. Sign up and more information at: http://www.faithandculturewsnc.org/Forum19.

The musical and forum provide opportunities to bring individuals and churches in our city together to partner with existing efforts continuing to address the problem of racial reconciliation and justice in our community. Saturday’s forum will include a number of organizations and initiatives present and available for individuals to step into dialogue, meet with organizations, and sign up to participate.

The council hopes the musical will frame much-needed conversations about racism in our city and open pathways to explore what we can collectively do about addressing it.

The musical on Friday night is free but tickets are required. While the show is now sold out, an overflow venue has been added at First Presbyterian Church, 300 North Cherry St., where the musical will be live-streamed, followed by a talkback with cast and crew on the stage there.

This weekend’s events are sponsored by the Flow Foundation, Inc.

Love Out Loud is a 501(c)(3) organization in Winston-Salem working to transform the city with the love of Jesus by connecting and mobilizing its people and resources. The Forum on Faith and Culture is a group of followers of Christ working to live fully and faithfully for the flourishing of Winston-Salem. The Union Council is comprised of individuals working together to bring “UNION: A Musical” to Winston-Salem.

For more information please visit: http://www.faithandculturewsnc.org/Forum19 or email union@loveoutloudws.com.