MLK remembrance dinner, concert returns to Schaumburg Nov. 13
The Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations' 52nd Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Dinner and Concert will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg.
The theme is “Dr. King and His Music” featuring a 90-minute concert by five-time Grammy Award-winning artists The Five Blind Boys of Alabama.
The group has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and has performed at the World's Fair, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the White House and throughout the United States and Europe. It has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Awards and honored by the National Endowment of the Arts. Renowned artists, including Prince, Willie Nelson and the Oak Ridge Boys have adopted the group's musical style.
“It's a bonhomie,” said George Motto, 79, event marketing director and a retired endocrinology and metabolism specialist from Arlington Heights.
That's French for geniality.
“It means civility, getting together, talking, working things out,” Motto said. “It's not a protest. We are not going to have endless droning on of speeches.”
The Five Blind Boys, as Black people with disabilities, represent the commission's values of inclusivity, said Motto, who has been working on diversity, equity and inclusion in Arlington Heights for years.
“This is a way to get a lot of people from government, business, individuals together in remembrance of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, who really was responsible for the acceleration of the civil rights movement,” Motto said.
That movement has helped every marginalized group since, he added.
“The agenda is to bring people together and try to engender more understanding and get more people behind issues,” Motto said.
For tickets and information, call (708) 772-8752, email cbrooks@icdhr.org or visit icdhr.com.
Muslim report
The Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition and more than 100 partner organizations are collaborating on a survey to create a snapshot of Muslims statewide.
Illinois has the largest per capita population of Muslims in the nation.
The survey questionnaire seeks input on community members' experiences and demographics, including topics such as mental health, suicide, drug use and crime victimization. All responses are confidential.
The research is being conducted by the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement at the University of Illinois Chicago and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
The Illinois Muslims Report study is funded by community members and organizations. To take the survey, visit IllinoisMuslims.org.
Asian health
Chicago-based Midwest Asian Health Association has opened its new suburban satellite office in Aurora's Pacifica Square, an Asian-themed lifestyle center with more than 30 Asian-owned businesses.
The nonprofit association, established in 2003, aims to reduce health disparities for medically underserved, low-income populations in the Midwest. It provides culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate services, including community outreach education, screening and immunization, linkage to care, mental health services, and research and policy advocacy.
Pacifica Square is a one-stop destination for shopping, food, business, service, leisure and entertainment. The Asian population makes up 9% of the population of Aurora and 19% of the population of Naperville.
The shopping center is located west of Route 59 and north of East New York Street across from Fox Valley Mall.
Immigrant services
Partners for Our Communities is opening its new Amita campus from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, at 1515 Lake St. in Hanover Park.
Guest speakers include Hanover Park Village President Rod Craig and state Rep. Fred Crespo.
The Illinois Immigrant Welcoming Center has been serving the Northwest suburbs for more than 30 years. Started in Palatine in 1999, the group has expanded its programs to the neighboring communities of Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, and Rolling Meadows. It connects people with local resources and provides new immigrants a pathway for integration and success.
Scholarly talk
Ebrahim Moosa will give a talk on Thursday, Oct. 28, exploring “Madrasa: Traditional Islam in the Modern World” as part of this year's al-Ghazali Lecture at Elmhurst University.
The program is part of the university's Religious Literacy Project.
Moosa is the Mirza Family professor of Islamic Thought and Muslim societies in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Moosa's expertise is in classical and modern Islamic thought, with a special focus on Islamic law, history, ethics and theology.
At Notre Dame, Moosa codirects Contending Modernities, a global research and education initiative examining how Catholic, Muslim and other religious and secular forces interact and promoting greater understanding among these groups.
The talk begins at 7 p.m. in the Frick Center, Founders Lounge, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. Admission is free but reservations are encouraged, at elmhurst.edu/cultural.
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