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Black History Month: The Killing of Marvin Gaye, Charismatic Singer
Published On:
Jan 28, 2026
Category:
Press Release
New York, NY — The New York County Lawyers Association announces that registration is open for:
Black History Month: The Killing of Marvin Gaye
Tuesday February 17, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm
NOTE: Newly admitted attorneys in New York MUST attend the program In-Person to earn Skills credits
In-person location: NYCLA, 111 Broadway 10th Fl, New York, NY 10006
Marvin Gaye was a popular singer who was part of the Motown sound, creating such hit songs as How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) and I Heard It Through the Grapevine.
Yet his life was not all glamour and fame, as he spent a period in Europe as an involuntary tax exile due to a battle with the IRS in the early 1980s. He also had a longstanding conflict with his father, a preacher in the Hebrew Pentecostal Church and a believer in a strict moral code that he harshly enforced on his four children. Despite the family tension, Marvin moved back into his parents’ home in late 1983 due to battles with depression, debt, and cocaine abuse.
On the morning of April 1, 1984, the eve of his 45th birthday, Marvin was shot and killed by his father in the family home after an argument. His father received a six-year suspended sentence and five years of probation, but there was little accountability for the killing.
Join us for a discussion of this fascinating story, lessons learned, and enduring legacy.
IN-PERSON ATTENDEES are invited to stay for a reception honoring Black History Month, featuring the music of Marvin Gaye, as well as refreshments and a chance to mingle and reminisce with fellow attendees and faculty.
NOTE: Newly admitted attorneys in New York MUST attend the program In Person to earn Skills credits
FACULTY
Rudy Carmenaty, Deputy Commissioner, Nassau County Department of Social Services
About the New York County Lawyers Association
The New York County Lawyers Association (www.nycla.org) was founded in 1908 as one of the first major bar associations in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Since its inception, it has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence and has continuously played an active role in legal developments and public policy.
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