Political reporter, recording artist to speak at Aurora MLK event

"From Dreams to Visions to Victory" will be the theme when Aurora honors the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at its 35th annual Aurora MLK Ceremony.

The celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Waubonsie Valley High School, 2590 Ogden Ave., and will feature oratorical and musical performances by local students, a highlight of mentoring programs in Aurora, a presentation of the Donna J. Williams Service Awards and the Mayor's Service Above Self Awards and remarks from political analyst April Ryan and Pastor Smokie Norful.

Ryan is a longtime White House correspondent, Washington, D.C., Bureau Chief for American Urban Radio Networks, a political analyst and a public speaker. She is the author of several books, including "The Presidency in Black and White: My Up-Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America," "At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White" and "Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House." She is a member of the National Press Club, the White House Correspondents Association and Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Norful is a two-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist and a musician, composer and preacher. His 2002 debut musical release "I Need You Now" was his first hit and since then he has had three Number 1 Billboard albums and sold more than 2 million records worldwide.

Norful serves as senior pastor of Victory Cathedral Worship Center in Bolingbrook, where his ministry is focused on reaching the community and encouraging its members to live a life of service. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

The event is free and open to the public. For details, call the Mayor's Office at (630) 256-3010 or email MyAurora@aurora-il.org.

In addition, the Aurora MLK Service Committee and the Mayor's Office Service Team are sponsoring the 2020 MLK Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20.

Students and parents are encouraged to register to serve at any of 13 locations in Aurora. Times vary by location and range from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 300 service slots are available and designated for students in elementary school, middle school and high school. All elementary students must be accompanied by an adult.

For details, visit auora-il.org/MLK.