Suburban Mosaic: MLK dinner will be musical affair in Schaumburg
After a yearlong hiatus due to the pandemic, the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations' 52nd Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Dinner and Concert will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg.
Unlike in previous years, this year's dinner will be an entirely musical affair, said commission chairman the Rev. Clyde Brooks, of Arlington Heights.
It will feature a musical performance by five-time Grammy Award-winning artists The Five Blind Boys of Alabama. The group is in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and has performed at the White House and throughout the U.S. and Europe.
"We're promoting an appreciation for diversity in all of its forms, and the music of the Blind Boys was a favorite of Dr. King," Brooks said.
The group has featured a rotating cast of performers, most of them visually impaired, since the 1940s. The group's musical style has been adopted by artists including Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Prince and the Oak Ridge Boys.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, the event has been rescheduled multiple times. Organizers are taking precautions, including limiting table seating to five people, requiring social distancing and encouraging masks. Attendees are not required to be vaccinated.
"We will have it at the convention center, which is a much larger facility," said Brooks, summing up the program for the evening as, "no long speeches, just good food and good music in a safe environment."
Tickets, table purchases, ads and donations for the original April 11, 2020, date will be honored. For more information, call (708) 772-8752, email cbrooks@icdhr.org or visit icdhr.com.
CNN journalist talk
Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN Worldwide's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," will speak at Aurora University Monday.
Zakaria will share "Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World" at 7:30 p.m. in the Crimi Auditorium at the Institute for Collaboration, 1347 Prairie St., Aurora.
The program is part of the university's Celebrating Arts and Ideas series, which is reopening after a year off due to the pandemic.
Admission and parking are free. Reservations are required. For more information, call (630) 844-4924 or visit auartsandideas.com.
Zakaria is a Washington Post columnist, a contributing editor for The Atlantic, and a best-selling author. He was editor of Newsweek International, former managing editor of Foreign Affairs, a former Time magazine columnist and host of PBS' "Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria."
Latinx heritage
Elgin Community College's Latinx Heritage Month celebrations will include a mix of in-person and virtual programs starting this week.
This year's theme is "Somos La Fuerza y Esperanza: Together We Rise."
The kickoff event, "Fiesta en la Yarda," will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday in the outdoor green space behind Building C (Renner Academic Library). It will feature a showing of the movie "Selena" on the lawn with a guest appearance by Selena drag queen Venus Carangi and a performance by Ballet Folklorico Huehuecoyotl, an in-residence ensemble of the ECC Arts Center.
Latino food trucks, free activity kits and a mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic are part of the program, which is free and open to the community.
"Last year's programming was more focused on the difficult issues our society was facing with topics like the pandemic, civil unrest and presidential elections," said Gaea Atta, ECC coordinator of student life. "This year, we wanted to look forward and showcase how we can bring the Latinx community back together and celebrate our rich Latinx culture. 'Somos La Esperanza' means 'We are the hope.'"
ECC celebration schedule
• "Latinx Conexión: College Hacks for Excellence Fair," 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 22, Jobe Lounge, Building B. Connect with ECC campus departments and resources, and network with prominent Latinx leaders.
• "Teatro Que Importa," 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 30. A virtual staged reading of "Augusta and Noble" by Carlos Murillo followed by a discussion with the cast. Register at tinyurl.com/lhmteatro2021.
• Ballet Folklorico Huehuecoyotl's 25th anniversary celebration, 7 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3 p.m. Oct. 3. For ticket information, visit bfh.org.
• "Black Latinx Narratives and Resisting Erasure," 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 7. A virtual event featuring Rosa Clemente, a Puerto Rican community organizer, producer, independent journalist and scholar and activist. Register at tinyurl.com/lhmafrolatinx.
For more information, call (847) 214-7370 or visit elgin.edu/lhm.
Girls in aviation
Lake in the Hills will host its first Girls in Aviation Day on Sept. 25.
The village is partnering with Women in Aviation International and Chicago's Leading Edge Chapter to organize the free event. It is open to girls and young women ages 11 to 21 and will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake in the Hills 3CK Airport at 8397 Pyott Road.
"We are excited to bring such a positive and educational STEM experience to girls and young women in our area," said Tom Migatz, village public works director.
The day includes rotating 40-minute sessions, exhibits, speakers and hands-on activities. Participants will learn from women pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and other aviation professionals. Topics include aircraft maintenance, preflight, aerodynamics, career options and scholarship information.
Attendance is limited to 100 participants. Attendees must register by Sept. 20 at lith.org/GirlsInAviation.
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