Rothko Chapel

This year's observance provided space for learning, restoration, and renewal through a conversation and meditative moment on sustaining action focused particularly on youth organizers working for climate justice and community health.

Inspired by the 2023 ruling in the Held v. Montana case on the state’s constitutional rights to health, representatives from Our Children’s Trust including staff attorney David Schwartz and youth plaintiffs shared the development and success of this case, and how their methods could be applied across the country. A community discussion followed with Texas-based youth and grassroots activists including Chanté Davis (Sunrise Houston) and Armon Alex (Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit) about the links between environmental and climate justice and community health, moderated by Andre Segura, VP of Litigation at Earthjustice. Reflection time was facilitated by Tiffany Jin, Co-Director of Houston Climate Justice Museum.

Special thanks to Hershey Foundation for underwriting support

Led by conductor Delyana Lazarova, people experienced Aaron Copland’s iconic tone poem Appalachian Spring in its original 13-piece version, along with the world premiere of a new companion work by James Stephenson—as Houston Contemporary Dance Company, choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Marlana Doyle.

Gun violence in the United States—the country with the highest gun ownership per capita—is an entrenched public health issue that impacts Americans across demographics and geographies. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 327 people a day are shot in the US, and 42,654 die from gun violence each year. Since the 1990s, Texas firearm-related homicides rose 66% and suicides involving firearms rose 40%. The Austin American-Statesman stated that Texas topped the list of gun related deaths in 2021, and in 2022 we witnessed the catastrophic mass-shooting in Uvalde leaving 19 children and two teachers dead at an elementary school.

In the spirit of Dr. King’s commitment to address critically important justice issues and create a more equitable society through engaging in nonviolent tactics, this event provides space to learn more about the public health impacts of gun violence, and to delve into our collective responsibilities to address this critical epidemic. The event will feature keynote speaker David Hogg, Co-Founder of March For Our Lives, followed by a panel of local public health researchers and organizers including Dr. Jeff Temple, Dean of Clinical Research in the School of Behavioral Health Science at UTHealth Houston; Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria, Pediatric Trauma Surgeon at UTMB; Karlton Harris, Executive Director of The Forgotten Third; and Kimberly Mata-Rubio, who recently ran for mayor of Uvalde after her daughter was killed in the Robb Elementary School Shooting.

The program featured a temporary memorial installation on the Plaza by Sandeigh Kennedy exploring the impacts of gun violence in 2023, contemplative music by DACAMERA Young Artists and poetry by Texas Poet Laureate Lupe Mendez. Local organizations addressed gun violence in Houston and Texas were onsite after the event to share information about how to get involved in gun violence prevention efforts.

About the Annual MLK Birthday Observance

In 1979, The Rothko Chapel started the annual MLK Birthday Observance to connect the contemporary implications of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy to the ongoing struggle for civil and human rights, captured through artist Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk. This sculpture, located on the plaza adjacent to the Chapel, is dedicated to Dr. King. Recent presenters have included Civil Rights Freedom Singer Rutha Mae Harris, artist David Banner, columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr., environmental justice leader Dr. Robert Bullard, MacArthur Fellow Dr. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, the Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra, and photographer Devin Allen.

"loss. nothing. memorial: the HOMEGOING Concert—a sonic memorial" focuses on the impact of the AIDS crisis in Black communities in the United States between 1980-2005. This music honors fallen Black queer musicians, choir directors and singers. Songs performed are written to and about musicians, singers and choir directors from the Black church tradition, and Black queer musicians that were victims of the AIDS crisis. We sing songs to honor, to remember and to wish them well on their journey to otherwise and beyond.

The Houston-debut performance will feature vocalists from Phillip Hall Singers, Hammond organist Abdul Hamid Robinson-Royal, percussionist Vernon Daniels and the William Grant Still String Quartet.

Composer Ashon Crawley is a writer, artist and teacher. A professor of Religious Studies and African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia, he is author of Blackpentecostal Breath: The Aesthetics of Possibility and The Lonely Letters. He was a Yaddo fellow, a MacDowell interdisciplinary arts fellow, and a New City Arts Initiative Fellow. All his work is about otherwise possibility. Photo credit Benita Mayo.

Community members contemplated cycles of life and death with music, poetry, and personal reflections in observance of Dia de los Muertos, All Saint’s Day, and National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. This year's offering focused on the loss of children, with remarks from local peer support group The Compassionate Friends - Houston Inner Loop Chapter. Contemplative music was shared by DACAMERA Young Artists and guitarist Jesus Lozano. Attendees were invited to bring a small memento, photo, or item to place on a community altar in remembrance of those who have passed on (no food, drinks, or live flowers please).

About The Compassionate Friends

When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family. TCF has over 600 chapters serving all 50 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam, that offer friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved family members during the natural grieving process after a child has died. Learn more about the Houston Inner Loop Chapter.

Beginning in 2020, Brad Braxton and Anthony Pinn exchanged a series of email conversations that together form the basis for the book A Master Class on Being Human: A Black Christian and a Black Secular Humanist on Religion, Race, and Justice (Beacon Press 2023). In this time of marked polarization in our communal life, the authors embarked on an experiment, attempting in-depth discussions that probed their deep differences about serious topics, with the ultimate goal of promoting constructive engagement, enhanced understanding, and more compassion among people with different identities, beliefs, and practices.

Master Class is an exploration of what it means to be human, drawing on each authors' expertise in philosophy, religion, and African American studies. The book covers seven issues of social importance relevant to these theological-philosphical groups, including non-theism, violence against Black Americans and the Black Lives Matter movement, and whether religion does or should have a public role.

The authors acknowledge the centuries-long opposition between Christian and secular humanist traditions. In their conversations, they seek to expose the assumptions each group makes about the other, with "intellectual rigor and compassion." While they don't claim that dialogue or mutual understanding is a panacea for the discord between the two groups, they do believe that the embrace of difference—not the elimination of difference—is an effective classroom for learning to be better humans. Their nuanced discussion lays the groundwork for constructive dialogue between all who wish to move from tolerance of differing opinions to celebration.

In business and in life, Tracie Jae is The Quiet Rebel. Her work in the world is creating incremental and organic shifts to the status quo. In her work, she centers on humans, celebrates differences and honors lived experiences. The expertise of her proprietary approach is based on evidence-based practices in clinical and cognitive psychology, and communications research, and focuses on what makes us fully human, at both our best and worst. Tracie holds a BA in Business Management and MA in Strategic Communication and Leadership.

In collaboration with Jaipur Literature Festival Houston, the Rothko Chapel hosted classical Indian quartet Anirudh Varma Collective and Houston Poet Laurate Aris Kian for a contemplatived morning music and poetry experience inside the sanctuary followed by light bites on the Plaza.

About the presenters

The spirit of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, held annually in Jaipur, India, travels across countries and continents with a caravan of writers, thinkers, poets, influencers, balladeers and raconteurs. The Anirudh Varma Collective (AVC) is a contemporary Indian classical ensemble from New Delhi, India. It is led by pianist, composer & producer, Anirudh Varma. The Anirudh Varma Collective comprises musicians & artistes from across India, America, and Canada. The Collective aims to discover, re-discover, and present the tradition & diversity of Indian music in a contemporary yet rooted manner in order to reach and connect with the masses.

Aris Kian Brown is currently the Houston Poet Laureate 2023-2025 and ranked #2 in the 2023 Womxn of the World Poetry Slam. Previously an Inprint C. Glenn Cambor Fellow, she received her MFA from the University of Houston. She was ranked #10 in the 2020 Women of the World Poetry Slam and #4 in the nation at the 2019 ACUI College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational with UH team Coogslam. She is a current member of Smoke Slam alongside LeChell “The Shootah” R.H, R.J. Wright, Blacqwildflowr, and Sherrika Mitchell, coached by Ebony Stewart.

About the observance

This event was held in observance of International Day of Peace which takes place annually on September 21st. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to reace above all differences and to contribute to building a global culture of peace. This year's theme is "Actions for Peace," recognizing our individual and collective responsibilities to foster peace and more just and inclusive societies, free from fear and violence.

Loop38 explores human creativity, perseverance, and all that binds us all together. Works by George Lewis and Chen Yi look inward, considering humanity's inherent creativity and life force, while Carolyn Chen's work looks outward, contemplating our relationship with the environment. Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton joins the musicians of Loop38 to present the world premiere of a work by Martha Horst based on D.E.E.P.’s poetry about hope, aspiration, and the power of creation.

About Loop38

Loop38 is a boundary-pushing, artist-driven new music ensemble based in Houston, Texas, that aims to build community around innovative, stimulating, and culturally relevant musical experiences. Loop38 specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music for solo instrument, chamber ensemble, and large ensemble—instrumentations that collectively allow the full timbral spectrum of an orchestra while showcasing the virtuosic solo capabilities of its performers. Named after the 38-mile freeway (“the loop”) that encircles our hometown, Loop38 focuses on presenting distinctive and memorable aural experiences that push stylistic boundaries, feature underrepresented voices, and incorporate meaningful collaborations with composers and artists of other disciplines.

About Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, poet

Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is an internationally known writer, librettist, educator, activist, performer, and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston, Texas. Formerly ranked the #2 Best Female Performance Poet in the World (PSI), Her work has appeared in Houston Noir by Akashic Press (2019), Black Girl Magic by Haymarket Books (2019), the Texas Observer, and Fjords Journal, and on such platforms as NPR, BBC, ABC, Apple News, Blavity, Upworthy, and across the TedX circuit. Honored by Houston Business Journal as a part of their 2021 40 Under 40 class, She has served as a contributing writer to Texas Monthly, Glamour Magazine, and ESPN’s The Undefeated. This season, Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson has its world premiere at STAGES Houston, which D.E.E.P. directs and wrote the book for. She also is slated to perform in Unison for Da Camera Society of Texas, which she also wrote poems for. Her recently published memoir, Black Chameleon (Henry Holt & Co, 2023), explores the use of modern mythology as a path to social commentary.

About Martha Horst, composer

Martha Horst is a composer who has devoted herself to the performance, creation, and instruction of classical music. Ms. Horst has won the Copland Award, the 2005 Alea III International Composition Competition for her work Threads, and the Rebecca Clarke International Composition Competition for her work Cloister Songs, based on 18th century utopian poetry. She has held fellowships at the MacDowell Colony, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Wellesley Conference, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and Dartington International School in the UK. Her work Piano Sonata No. 1, recorded by acclaimed pianist Lara Downes, was released nationally by Crossover Media. Dr. Horst is a professor of composition and theory at Illinois State University and has also taught at the University of California, Davis, East Carolina University, and San Francisco State University. She recently served as the composer-in-residence for the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra in Chicago, IL.

This program is supported in part by funding from Texas Commission for the Arts, Houston Arts Alliance, and Poets & Writers.

People Enjoyed an afternoon of free art, music, poetry, and family activities in celebration of our vibrant neighborhood. Participating organizations include: DACAMERA, Houston Center for Photography, Inprint, The Menil Collection, Pride Chorus Houston, Rothko Chapel, Writers in the Schools (WITS), and Watercolor Art Society.

Ars Lyrica presented an interactive, family-friendly musical story time featuring Maria’s Magical Music Adventure focused on mindfulness, with narrators reading the book in English and Spanish with live string quartet accompaniment. The performance included excerpts from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and was followed by a book signing by author Emma Kent Wine and translator Verónica Roméro at the Suzanne Deal Booth Welcome House between performances. Presenters for this event included Emma Kent Wine, author and English narrator; Verónica Roméro, translator and Spanish narrator; Joanna Becker, violin; Maria Lin, violin; Matthew Weathers, viola; and Fran Koiner, cello.

Since 1986, the Rothko Chapel has given the Óscar Romero Award in recognition of courageous, grassroots human rights advocacy. This award is named in honor of Saint Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who was assassinated in March 1980 while conducting Catholic Mass in a local hospital chapel. He is recognized internationally for his vocal opposition against oppression and has inspired countless others to advocate for justice even in the face of great economic and political pressure.

The 2023 Rothko Chapel Óscar Romero Award recognizes individuals and organizations exercising courageous, grassroots, human rights advocacy to further civil rights in the United States. At a time when many urgent, intersecting civil liberties and human rights are under attack and actively losing protections in the US, the Rothko Chapel continues a multi-year effort to further community engagement on the topic of civil rights, following our 2021-22 Symposium “Beyond the Rhetoric: Civil Rights & Our Shared Responsibility.”

2023 Awardees included Rev. Erika Ferguson, Principal, Envision Justice & Reproductive Justice Post Roe (Dallas, Texas); Secunda Joseph, Co-Founder & Director of Smart Media & Organizing with ImagiNoir/BLMTX (Houston, TX); and The People’s Paper Co-Op (Philadelphia, PA).

The program included an awards ceremony followed by a moderated conversation with the awardees facilitated by Omar El-Halwagi, The Anti-Discrimination Attorney PLLC, Co-Founder of Grassroots Islam, and Rothko Chapel Board Member & Program Committee Chair.