North Central sets King Week schedule
North Central College will celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a weeklong series of events Jan. 15-21 at the Naperville school.
This year’s theme “Where do we go from here?” will honor and remember King with musical tributes, a prayer breakfast, activities and keynote presentation by talk show host, political commentator and entrepreneur Tavis Smiley.
The college begins the celebration Sunday, Jan. 15 — King’s birthday — with a musical tribute by the nation’s most diverse orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta. The performance begins at 3 p.m. in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave. Tickets are $50 and $40; call the box office at (630) 637-7469 or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.
Other activities include:
Ÿ Monday, Jan. 16: MLK Prayer Breakfast. North Central will feature a message by the Rev. Tracy Smith Malone, a 1990 alumna and pastor. She is the Chicago southern district superintendent to the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church and has served in associate, pastor and senior pastor positions. The free, hourlong breakfast starts at 7 a.m. on the second floor of the Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave. Reservations are required; call (630) 637-5151.
Ÿ Tuesday, Jan. 17: Film screening titled “Suffering to Speak.” The screening is an episode from the “Tavis Smiley Show” and tells the stories behind poverty in America, featuring Smiley and Cornel West. The free program includes a discussion and begins at noon in Smith Hall at Old Main, 30 N. Brainard St.
Ÿ Thursday, Jan. 19: Keynote presentation by Tavis Smiley. Titled “America I AM: The African American Imprint,” this multimedia presentation and keynote address look at American culture through the nearly 500-year-old lens of African-American history. The keynote takes place at 7 p.m. in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Tickets are $10; call the box office at (630) 637-7469 or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.
Ÿ Friday, Jan. 20: Featuring New York’s Carlos Andres Gomez with other area poets and students, the annual poetry slam begins at 7 p.m. at The Union, 129 W. Benton Ave., Naperville. Tickets are $10; call the box office at (630) 637-7469 or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.Ÿ Saturday, Jan. 21: A variety of energetic and enthusiastic performers and choirs will perform in the Gospel Extravaganza at 7 p.m. in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens; call the box office at (630) 637-7469 or visit northcentralcollege.edu/showtix.In 1960, Dr. King spoke at North Central College in Pfeiffer Hall, and in the 1960s North Central students traveled to Alabama to participate in civil rights demonstrations. The college was founded in 1861 by Evangelical Christians who believed strongly in abolition of slavery and equal rights regardless of race or gender. Nicor and Sara Lee Foundation are underwriting sponsors of Martin Luther King Jr. Week at North Central College. For a comprehensive schedule of musical performances, theatrical productions, art exhibits and lectures, visit northcentralcollege.edu/show.