DuPage MLK breakfast aims to bring together races, cultures

The DuPage County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Committee’s inaugural MLK Breakfast will be held Jan. 15 at The Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

It’s the culmination of a series of MLK events held throughout 2023 to promote King's vision of unity and social justice in partnership with various faith communities and groups. It also is a revival of the DuPage County-wide MLK breakfast — started by former Benedictine University President William Carroll — that ran for 20 years and raised money for scholarships until 2016.

“I was president during the 20 years and when I left they just stopped it,” said Carroll, president emeritus of the Lisle university now living in North Carolina and a higher education consultant.

It was “a celebration of Dr. King but also a celebration of our diversity, the university and the community,” he added.

“The Benedictines, their biggest value is hospitality,” Carroll said. “As a Benedictine University, we welcome the stranger. Celebrating Dr. King’s day, we focused on celebrating our differences and embracing it. We celebrate our ethnic heritage, we celebrate our religious backgrounds on this particular day. When you leave you are no longer a stranger.”

Now, honoring King’s message and values has become a yearlong mission for the advisory committee.

“I'm excited that it's coming back,” Carroll said. “Now, there is a much broader community base ... much more powerful than a single institution trying to do it by itself.”

Nearly 200 people are on the advisory committee working on the yearlong initiative whose capstone is the Jan. 15 breakfast.

“We will be expecting 1,157 people at this event,” said Regina Brent, committee co-chair.

Renowned gospel singer the Rev. Darius Brooks and choirs from the DuPage AME Church in Lisle and St. John AME Church in Aurora will perform.

Art Norman, retired NBC News anchorman, will be the master of ceremonies. Carroll will talk about the breakfast’s history. Guest speakers are Naomi King, widow of the Rev. Alfred Daniel King and sister-in-law to Martin Luther King Jr., and Bob Zellner, a Freedom Rider, social justice activist and member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Tickets are still on sale for the event, which will run from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at 100 Drury Lane. Proceeds go toward the DuPage Community Foundation’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Fund.

March on Washington

Busloads of Chicago-area Muslims will be heading to Washington, D.C,. to participate in the March on Washington for Gaza (Palestine) on Saturday.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago is helping mobilize community members. The rally is being organized in collaboration with the American Muslim Task Force for Palestine, Islamic Circle of North America and the ANSWER Coalition. It aims to unite communities in support of a permanent cease-fire and end to violence in Gaza.

The march will take place at 1 p.m. at the National Mall, 1600 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. A caravan will depart from Chicago between 7 and 9 p.m. Friday, arriving at the National Mall by 8-10 a.m. Saturday. It will return to Chicago early Sunday morning.

Anti-hate initiative

The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie is launching a new permanent exhibition, unique campaigns, and informative programming as part of its anti-hate initiative.

This spring, the museum will open “Voices of Genocide.” The exhibition will help elevate voices of survivors and descendants of genocides worldwide. It aims to expand awareness, foster compassion and empathy, and empower visitors to take a stand to prevent and respond to genocides, mass atrocities, and other human rights violations.

The museum also will continue to offer free admission on the last Friday of the month in January, February, and March.

For the free day on Jan. 26, survivor Marion Deichmann will be at the museum during the afternoon to meet guests and sign her book, “Her Name Shall Remain Unforgotten.” Deichmann’s VR film, “Letters from Drancy,” also will be playing in January in the museum’s VR gallery, “The Journey Back.”

Tickets can be reserved at ilholocaustmuseum.org/free-day-ticketing/.

Following the launch of its Understanding & Confronting Anti-Jewish Hate initiative in December, the museum will offer a series of programs focused on helping the Chicago-area community identify and address antisemitism. Details about programs in this series will be published as they become available. For updates, visit ilholocaustmuseum.org/programs-events/understanding-confronting-anti-jewish-hate-community-series/.

Native American history

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County will present “A Brief History of the Reintroduction of Native Americans into Illinois” from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 27, at the Barbara Belding Lodge, Brewster Creek Forest Preserve, 6N921 Route 25 in St. Charles

Gerald Savage, aka Chief White Winnebago of the Ho-Chunk Nation, will describe the culture and history of his tribal territory and settlements, how his family was relocated into Starved Rock, tribal names and culture, his regalia, and tribal artifacts. Native American storytelling, mostly of Ho-Chunk origin, will be woven into Savage’s talk.

This “Learn from the Experts” program, sponsored by Illinois Humanities, is for people 18 and older. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

Admission to the event is free but advance registration is required.

To register, call (630) 444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com.

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