The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was martyred in 1968 for the cause of freedom. Current events have forced this dormant cause to the front of our awareness. Sometime between the death of Dr. King 35 years ago and today, we have developed a prevailing lack of interest in the cause of freedom. I believe this lack of "freedom consciousness" is at the root of all our civic failures. I worry that we have lost the ability to see or diagnose our systemic ills and implement timely treatment, as evinced by our last presidential electoral process, or the way in which three brothers in New Jersey were allowed to slip though the cracks of our child welfare system, or the inability of our courts to uphold the law in the interest of justice and freedom.

Guest artist Julius Tennon (foreground) with ensemble in "We Shall Overcome." Photo by Ben Davis

I hold the opinion that freedom has been reintroduced to us in a fragile state. Never was this made more painfully clear to me than as I cowered in my apartment on September 11, 2001, and a year later as I worried for my brother and his family in Maryland during the sniper attacks last October. As we struggle to maintain national security, our leaders are asking us to relinquish more of our freedom of privacy. I am more aware of the exorbitant personal price I pay for these failures. In the interest of freedom for all, all are responsible for the system that we have created. "Out of sight, out of mind" will not sustain freedom. My freedom is not beyond my control; there is no mythical "someone" to take care of it. Thus, from my perspective, freedom was the most logical and tangible unifying theme for this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Juilliard, which took place on January 20.

What is freedom? Dr. King defined freedom this way: "It is, first, the capacity to deliberate or weigh alternatives.... Second, freedom expresses itself in decision.... A third expression of freedom is responsibility. This is the obligation of the person to respond if he is questioned about his decisions. No one else can respond for him. He alone must respond, for his acts are determined by the centered totality of his being."

At first glance, this quote appears to release me from any social responsibility. Indeed, many of us think wanting something for ourselves and achieving it completes the process of freedom. On the contrary: I should know why I want this "thing," whatever it is; I should know whom I affect in its pursuit. I must be accountable for any effect (fair or unfair) of my pursuit. I must be as diligent in the correction of an unfair act as I was in the pursuit that caused it. This makes my pursuit of freedom both a personal and social cause. Further, it illuminates the difference between tyranny and freedom.

Dancers Tiffany Vann and Michelle Smith in the student-choreographed piece "Open My Heart." Photo by Ben Davis

The notion of freedom as something encompassing responsibility must be taught. No one is born with the innate ability to complete this process. It is not just my responsibility to learn this lesson, but also to make sure my educational system represents the practice of freedom. We look to education to improve our view of what is available. Schools should hone the skills we will need to express and carry out our freedom, as education is the foundation of a rational social order. But it must be careful not to dictate what is worthy of our expression.

By making resources available for the annual student production that is the M.L.K. Celebration, Juilliard has provided a platform from which students may exercise their freedom. Writing in the 1790s, the great education reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt states: "Whatever does not spring from a man's free choice, or is only the result of instruction and guidance, does not enter into his very being, but remains alien to his true nature; he does not perform it with truly human energies, but merely with mechanical exactness."

Will Pailen (left) as Martin Luther King Jr. and Keith Chappelle as Malcolm X in Jeff Stetson's "The Meeting." Photo by Ben Davis

As the director who oversaw and coordinated this year's M.L.K. Celebration, the application of the theme of freedom was simple. The celebration, in its truest nature, is an expression of the freedom of speech and assembly. However, as the earlier quote of Dr. King states, the process of freedom is completed by responsibility. In the spirit of "Speaker's Corner" in Hyde Park in London, I created three sections of the program titled "Freedom Is." The performers in these sections (representing a cross-section of the Juilliard community, including faculty, students, alumni, and staff) were completely responsible for its content. "Freedom Is" served as the spine from which all other pieces were hung. I did not assert the power of directorial veto—and in not doing so, have personified the true practice of freedom.

We salute Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not only for his strength of character and moral fortitude, but also for the cause of freedom for which he died. The theme of freedom not only unified this year's celebration—but will also give us much-needed perspective on our current social challenges. It is my hope that at least one voice each audience member heard during this celebration will move him or her to act for the cause of freedom. If so, we will have added much-needed soldiers in the fight for equality.

Drama alumnus Cedric Harris is a member of Group 22; this marks his second time directing the annual M.L.K. Celebration at Juilliard.