Leaders honor legacy of Dr. King at 56th annual Remembrance Dinner in Palatine

After a tumultuous year, suburban government and religious leaders gathered Saturday in Palatine to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a call to reaffirm his dream of the nation becoming a model of social justice for the world.

The Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations’ 56th annual Remembrance Dinner for King was led by the agency’s founder and CEO, 90-year-old Rev. Clyde Brooks, who worked alongside the renowned civil rights leader in the ‘60s.

Brooks, who was diagnosed with and battled cancer over the past year, had sharp words for recent actions of the federal government in relation to civil rights.

“I oppose what our government is doing in our name,” Brooks said. “I am sick and tired of people being afraid because of a group called ICE. This has got to end and I refuse to be an accessory through silence. It’s happening on our doorstep while too many of us sleep. It’s time to wake up. I care about this country. I care about democracy. I care about you.”

The keynote speaker was Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford, who addressed her experiences after justices in 2012 launched an initiative to promote equal access to the courts.

She said she realized that many of the reforms made within the courtroom weren’t extending beyond it, including to state agencies.

“We are faced with the reality of a lack of trust in our judicial service,” Rochford said. “Our democracy relies on trust in the judicial system.”

Now the Illinois Supreme Court is working to help the public better understand basic such as the ethics code for judges and penalties for violating it. And that court is as diverse as it’s ever been, which she believes is important in delivering justice for a diverse population.

Illinois’ unique and more than century-old system of having its Supreme Court justices live in a college dormitory-style residence while in Springfield builds a level of communication and respect among them and serves as a buffer against outside political influences on their rulings, Rochford said.

“I’ll be candid, I am still fumbling to deliver access to justice,” she added. “But tonight I don’t feel overwhelmed. I can promise you we will work to make you proud.”

Libertyville Mayor Donna Johnson, the president of the Northwest Municipal Conference, said events like the King Remembrance Dinner are critical in demonstrating how much people and their local leaders are in control of their own destinies.

“This is the only way at a grassroots local level you can honor history,” she said. “That’s what makes these worthwhile.”