In 1964, the Civil Rights Act prohibited prejudicial treatment based on race, religion, sex or ethnicity. President John F. Kennedy had introduced the bill five months before his assassination, and it took Lyndon Johnson's mastery of Congress to push it through after Kennedy's death. But it wasn't just the presidents who fought to ban racial discrimination; from folk tunes and religious hymns to jazz and soul, music provided the beat for the march toward racial justice — and, along the way, changed the landscape of American pop culture. In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, Grand Performances presents a lineup of performers including Les Nubians and Ejyptian Queen, the granddaughters of Sam Cooke. Artists breathe life into old favorites as well as original new renditions and arrangements of songs by Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Pete Seeger and more. Named People Get Ready after a 1965 album title track written by Curtis Mayfield and recorded by The Impressions, the event is under the creative direction of Jonathan Rudnick and Dexter Story, with KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez as host. Its theme is in keeping with Grand Performances' own mission: to bring together L.A.'s global community in order to celebrate its diversity. Grand Performances, California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; Sat., Aug. 2, 8 p.m.; free. (213) 687-2159, grandperformances.org/events/people-get-ready-a-soundtrack-of-the-civil-rights-movement.

Sat., Aug. 2, 8 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 08/02/14)

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