Suburban events mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day
A variety of events next week will mark the national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., including breakfasts in Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg.
The Cultural Awareness Commission of the Village of Hoffman Estates is holding its 14th annual King breakfast on Monday, Jan. 18, the national holiday in honor of the Baptist minister, who emerged as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. King, a proponent of nonviolent civil disobedience as a way to bring about change, was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and assassinated on April 4, 1968, at age 39.
The theme of this year's breakfast, at 8 a.m. in the Ed & Mary Hennessy Room at village hall, is "All Lives Matter." The keynote address will be given by organizational development speaker Phillip Reed and entertainment will be provided by the Christian Tabernacle Church of Roselle, the MLK Cherubs and there will be a flag performance by Sisterhood in Motion. Reservations for the breakfast have closed, but pictures will be posted on Facebook after the event.
On Thursday, Jan. 21, the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations is holding a breakfast symposium on Creating Safer Communities Through Innovative Solutions at 8 a.m. at Motorola Solutions, 1303 E. Algonquin Road in Schaumburg. Tickets are $50. More information is at www.icdhr.com, or (630) 771-1707.
Among other events in the Northwest suburbs are:
• MLK Day of Service: Children can learn about Chicago Hopes For Kids, which sends tutors into homeless shelters, at 11 a.m. Monday at the Vernon Area Public Library, 300 Olde Half Day Road, Lincolnshire. Attendees will make snowflake scarves for the children in the shelters. The program is for grades 2 and up with a caregiver; registration is required at www.vapld.info, (224) 543-1486, or any service desk. The event is free.
• Oh Freedom!: Folk singer Chris Vallillo will perform music that played a vital role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and will discuss the importance of music in inspiring and sustaining participants. The program is at noon Monday at the Wheeling Pavilion Senior Center, 199 N. First St. The program is sponsored by the Indian Trails Library District. Registration is required at itpld.org, or (847) 459-4100. The event is free.
• School Day Off Program: Learn about Martin Luther King, then create a colorful collage in a program at 1 p.m. Monday at the Des Plaines History Center, 781 Pearson St. The program is for children ages 5-12, with an adult. Cost is $3 per child for nonmembers. For information, call (847) 391-5399, or visit desplaineshistory.org.
• Voter Registration: The League of Women Voters Arlington Heights-Mount Prospect-Buffalo Grove Area will commemorate King Day by registering new voters between 6 and 7 p.m. Monday at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St. in Arlington Heights. Any citizen who will be 18 years old by Nov. 8 can register and vote in the March 15 primary election. Two forms of identification, one with a current house address, are needed. A driver's license is preferred, but a photo ID is not required. More information on registration is at www.cookcountyclerk.com/elections.
• "Selma": The movie, which depicts the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, led by King despite violent opposition, will be shown at 7 p.m. Monday, at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. It also is sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Doors open at 6 p.m. for cash bar and appetizers. Admission is free, but the League requests a donation for the food pantry. A question-and-answer session will follow the movie. For information, visit www.lwvah.org or email graham847@gmail.com or lwvah.org@gmail.com.tion.