Students may have a break from classes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but there are plenty of opportunities around Chicago for education, engagement and inspiration.
And institutions such as the Chicago History Museum are re-examining the way they present King’s importance to visitors.
“King’s history is very complex and robust and, unfortunately, in some MLK celebrations, historically that’s been a little watered down to just the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech,” said Greg Storms, senior manager of public and community engagementfor the museum.
“We want our guests to leave having considered the robustness of his history, of his life and, in particular, of his influence on other activists.”
To that end, the museum will host a day of discussion and activities on Jan. 15, which also is one of the last days to view its current exhibit on the civil rights leader.
“We live in a time where we’re constantly fighting for racial justice, gender justice, economic justice,” Storms said. “And I truly believe that museums have a responsibility to our communities to provide educational opportunities and fun engagements that center those who have been erased from history.”
Read on to learn more about the activities at the Chicago History Museum, as well as nine other MLK Day events taking place on or near the holiday.
Chicago History Museum to examine King’s legacy
The Chicago History Museum will facilitate plenty of engagement for people of all ages during its annual, family-friendly event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Attendees may participate in a “freedom sing-a-long,” engage in dialogue at a “conversation station,” create buttons, and view the documentary “Mighty Times: The Children’s March,” which highlights the efforts of student activists in Birmingham, Alabama. Visitors can also view the closing exhibit “Remembering Dr. King: 1929–1968.”
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m Jan. 15, Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St. Tickets are included with general admission, which is free for Illinois residents on the holiday. Visit chicagohistory.org/events.
Free performances at the Music Institute of Chicago
At the Music Institute’s 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, voice faculty Angela DeVenuto, Artist-in-Residence pianist Marta Aznavoorian, and cellist Mara McClain performed the world premiere of Ephraim Champion’s “A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song),” commissioned by the Music Institute through the Hearing in Color Young Composer Residency.
Mike Grittani
The talent of young musicians will be on display at the Music Institute of Chicago’s celebration, which will feature a newly commissioned work from Nyandeng Juag, a Hearing in Color Young Composer-in-Residence. The event will also include performances by musicians from the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play program, as well as Music Institute of Chicago alumna violinist Hannah White. Remarks will be given by Marcus Campbell, Evanston Township High School District 202 superintendent. The public may attend in person or view via livestream on the Music Institute of Chicago website or YouTube channel.
- 3 p.m. Jan. 14, Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Admission is free, but registration is required. Visit musicinst.org.
‘Commemoration Celebration’ returns to Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
One of the city’s major events marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the celebration will take place on the University of Chicago campus, where King spoke decades ago. The campus community, South Side residents and other attendees will gather for a day of “renewal, inspiration and connection,” according to event organizers. More details will be announced on the website in the coming days.
- At 6 p.m. Jan. 30 at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. Admission is free, but registration is required. Visit mlk.uchicago.edu.
Black composers highlighted by Chicago Sinfonietta
Attendees will be exposed to historical and contemporary pieces by Black composers during “Pulse,” Chicago Sinfonietta’s annual MLK tribute concert. Selections include “Overture,” from Scott Joplin’s opera “Treemonisha,” orchestrated by Gunther Schuller, and “Montgomery Variations,” written by Chicago native Margaret Bonds, and conducted by Mei-Ann Chen. Additionally, virtuoso double bassist Xavier Foley will perform his composition “Victory.”
- 3 p.m. Jan. 14, Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville; and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15, Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B Wells Dr. Tickets: $25+. Discounts available while supplies last. Visit chicagosinfonietta.org/pulse.
Grammy-nominated poet to appear at DuSable Black History Museum
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is hosting Brooklyn-based writer and poet Kevin Powell, whose work “Grocery Shopping With My Mother” is nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album at the forthcoming Grammy Awards. Powell will be part of a community conversation, “Been to the Mountaintop: Dr. King and the Present and Future of Our World.” Copies of “The Kevin Powell Reader,” a selection of Powell’s writings, will be available for sale at the event. And on Jan. 15, the museum will host a Martin Luther King Jr. bus tour of the civil rights leader’s history in Chicago, facilitated by popular local historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas.
- Discussion is 2 p.m. Jan. 13, bus tour is 1 p.m. Jan. 15, DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th Place. Admission for the discussion is free. Bus tour tickets: $20. Visit dusablemuseum.org.
Hyde Park Art Center hosts day of art, discussion and music
A full day of music, storytelling and discussion is in store at Hyde Park Art Center’s “MLK DAY 2024: Yesterdays, Todays, and Tomorrows” event. Visitors can participate in art-making; buy books from pop-up shop Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery; listen to a discussion on Afrofuturism featuring artist Candace Hunter and scholar Kimberly Harmon, and enjoy a performance by members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, who will highlight Black American composers.
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 15, Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Admission is free. Registration recommended. Visit hydeparkart.org.
Community organizations to host ‘Racial Justice Ride’
The “North Lawndale Racial Justice Ride” will mobilize community members to get active and educate themselves on the neighborhood’s history. Led by racial justice organization Equiticity, the group will bike to landmarks with ties to Martin Luther King Jr., including the present-day Dr. King Legacy Apartments where he once lived; the Stone Temple Baptist Church where he preached, and Del-Kar Drugs, the Black-owned pharmacy he frequented. Riders also will visit the historic Central Park Theater, which drew many soul, R&B and gospel artists, according to Equiticity staff. The event is presented in partnership with Lawndale Christian Health Center, Lawndale Christian Fitness Center, Working Bikes, Ride Illinois and REI Co-op.
- 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Jan. 15, Lawndale Christian Fitness Center, 3750 W. Ogden Ave. Admission is free. Registration is required. Visit equiticity.org/events.
Local United Way to highlight South Side entrepreneur
United Way of Metro Chicago will be celebrating Black entrepreneurship and community engagement through a virtual conversation with Chef Maya-Camille Broussard, owner of Chicago bakery Justice of the Pies and star of the Netflix series “Bake Squad.” Broussard, also an author of a cookbook, is acknowledged by the organization for “fighting against food apartheid and investing in Chicago’s South Side.”
- 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Jan. 15, Zoom. Admission is free. Registration is required. Visit liveunitedchicago.org.
King biographer to discuss icon’s life and legacy
Jonathan Eig, author of New York Times bestseller “King: A Life,” will provide insight into the civil rights leader’s life during a panel discussion hosted by the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. Attendees are asked to provide toiletries, which will be included in bags to be donated to the Austin community. Lunch is included, and Eig will sign copies of his book.
- 9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 20, Grace & Peace Sanctuary, 1856 N. Leclaire Ave. Admission is free. Registration is required. Visit nonviolencechicago.org/events/king-a-life.
‘Black Creativity Family Day’ returns to Museum of Science and Industry
During “Black Creativity Family Day,” families will engage in a day of community art and activities celebrating the rich contributions of African Americans. Attractions also include the opening of the “Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition,” which will feature paintings, sculptures, photography and more. Another exhibit, “Black Creativity: Architecture,” celebrates creations of Black architects throughout history.
- 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 15, Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. Admission included with museum entry ticket, which is $25.95 for adults and $14.95 for children 3 to 11. Visit msichicago.org.
