Thursday, October 1, 2026
Sea Cliff resident, former mayor and local historian Ed Lieberman will return to the Sea Cliff Library later this month with a multimedia presentation exploring the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., coinciding with the civil rights leader’s birthday. The event marks the second year Lieberman has presented on King for the community.
Here are three things to know about the upcoming presentation.
1. The presentation coincides with King’s birthday and is free to attend.
Lieberman’s presentation will take place Jan. 15, at 4 p.m. at the Sea Cliff Library. The date falls on King’s actual birthday, a detail Lieberman said adds significance to the event. Admission is free.
Lieberman said the presentation is designed as an accessible, community level event that allows residents to spend about an hour reflecting on King’s life, leadership and message.
“I’m hoping that, you know, people preside an hour or so, to not only be entertained,” Lieberman said, “but also to participate in remembrance, if you will, of this great leader.”
2. Using photos, music and historic audio to tell King’s story.
The presentation consists of 38 slides featuring photographs that trace King’s life from childhood through his rise as a national civil rights leader and his assassination in 1968.
Lieberman said topics include King’s early life, education, marriage, leadership during the Montgomery bus boycott, national recognition, imprisonment and major speeches, as well as the events leading up to his death.
The presentation also incorporates excerpts from King’s speeches, including portions of “I Have a Dream” and his final address in Memphis, known as the Mountaintop speech.
In addition to the visual and audio elements, the program includes live music performed by Frank Ferrara. Ferrara will perform “We Shall Overcome,” which Lieberman described as the mantra of the civil rights movement, as well as “Abraham Martin John,” popularized by the artist Dion.
3. An educational opportunity rooted in community.
Lieberman said his interest in presenting on King is deeply personal and shaped by his upbringing in Great Neck during the 1960s. He recalled King as a prominent public figure at the time and noted that King visited Great Neck and spoke at a local temple.
He said community presentations like this one are an opportunity to emphasize the educational aspect of national holidays, particularly beyond the classroom.
Lieberman said he hopes the presentation encourages reflection on King’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, which he described as a through line connecting figures such as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and King.
He added that King’s message continues to resonate because it speaks to fundamental human desires.
“People want to get along with one another,” Lieberman said. “People want harmony justice.”
