Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame) and other artists who share his concern about social justice through their songs will be part of a day-long series of social change music programming at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire on Saturday, Jan. 22. Dartmouth partners with the Public Domain Foundation, a nonprofit organization launched by Stookey more than 30 years ago to encourage the making and use of music for social change, to present nearly 10 hours of programming in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Noel Paul Stookey (Photo: Kevin Mazur)

Featured events during the afternoon include a panel discussion on Why Music Matters – Understanding Music’s Impact on Social Justice, from 1-2:30 p.m., with Stookey and award-winning singer-songwriters and activists Amy Carol Webb and Josh White Jr.; a showcase of musician activists featuring winners of the foundation’s Music2Life songwriting contest — including Arlon Bennett (whose song ”Be the Change” was selected for inclusion in the Martin Luther King, Jr. collection Dream On), Annie Dinerman and Spook Handy. In the evening, Stookey and his daughter, Liz Stookey Sunde, host what is being described as “a rousing evening of song, film and inspiration,” highlighting the work of Webb and White, who will both perform their music and be featured in the documentaries Our Living History and Songbird, illustrating how their talents are used for change in their communities. A late night student jam — featuring a diverse group of musicians, dancers and spoken word performers –caps off the evening from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Although all events are free and open to the public, tickets are required for the evening concert. More details on the Music for Change program appears at www.dartmouth.edu/~mlk/calendar/music_for_change.html.

As the Public Domain Foundation’s website notes: “Artistic expression can serve as an emotional bridge – bringing our world closer together by reminding us of our common human condition.” More on the foundation may be found at www.pdfoundation.org.