The Pantagraph
A teach-in featuring the head of the Illinois NAACP, a breakfast to raise money for minority student scholarships, and a dinner with a former U.S. attorney general are among ways colleges and universities are commemorating the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights icon whose birthday was celebrated today.
Illinois Wesleyan
“The Evolution of Housing Equity as a Civil Right” will be the theme of the annual MLK teach-in at Illinois Wesleyan University. The free teach-in was from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday in the Hansen Student Center, 300 E. Beecher St., Bloomington.
Teresa Haley, in her third year as president of the Illinois NAACP, was the keynote speaker. She addressed Illinois NAACP initiatives and King's work with housing justice.
McLean County YWCA's Jennifer Carrillo and NIOTBN's Archana Shekara and Camille Taylor participated in IWU's teach-in.
The teach-in included a discussion by housing justice advocates Daniel Sherrod, director of public housing with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Lindsey Haines, vice president of real estate development at Full Circle Communities, a nonprofit organization working to expand access to quality affordable housing. Sherrod and Haines are IWU alumni.
Judy Valente of WGLT radio hosted a panel discussion by local and regional fair housing activists. Valente recently produced a four-part series exploring ongoing issues related to fair housing and discrimination in the Twin City area.
In addition, the 28th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday Gospel Festival is taking place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Westbrook Auditorium in IWU's Presser Hall, 1210 Park St.
Presented by IWU and the United Community Gospel Singers of Bloomington-Normal, the festival will include choirs, praise dance and a puppet ministry.
Lincoln College
Lincoln College conducted its annual Joyce Kinzie/Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on Monday in the Davidson-Sheffer Gymnasium. Kathryn Harris, known as the “first lady of history,” was keynote speaker. Harris, who retired in 2015 from the Illinois State Historical Library, is known for her portrayal of historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Keckley and Jarena Lee.
The Second Baptist Youth Choir and the Lincoln College Chorale provided musical entertainment.
Proceeds go to the Martin Luther King Jr. Minority Student Scholarship, which assists Logan County minority students attending Lincoln College. The scholarship was co-founded by the Rev. Glenn Shelton and Lincoln businesswoman Joyce Kinzie, who died in 2010.
Illinois State
Loretta Lynch
Loretta Lynch, who served as attorney general during the Obama administration from April 27, 2015, to Jan. 20, 2017, will be keynote speaker at Illinois State University's annual Martin Luther King Cultural Dinner on Jan. 26.
During her nearly 21 months in the post, the former federal prosecutor concentrated on improving police-community relations, transgender rights, and criminal justice reform.
From her national community policing tour to help improve the relationship between local law enforcement and communities they serve, to transgender rights, to her bold stances on criminal justice reform, former U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch epitomizes the Obama administration’s end-of-tenure posture of not shying away from tough issues, offering audiences unique and powerful insights on civil rights, 21st century policing, and criminal justice reform.
President Obama announced his intention to nominate Lynch as Attorney General on November 8, 2014 and she was sworn in as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States, and the first African American female AG, on April 27, 2015. She served until 2017.
This event is presented by the ISU Office of the President, Illinois State University Housing Services, and the ISU Student Chapter of NAACP.