MLK Dream Week 2020 programming announced

• Updated: January 7, 2020 – new Chicago event added for Jan. 22
• Link to: Northwestern Now Story

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University will commemorate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with Dream Week 2020, a series of events from Jan. 15 to 28, 2020. Several events are free and open to the public, including the keynote events with ‘me too.’ Movement founder Tarana Burke on Jan. 27.

Update 1/6/20: The Evanston keynote is at capacity - ticket holders must present printed copies of tickets at the door for admission or eventbrite email confirmation. Seating for the Chicago keynote is limited and available on a first come first serve basis.

Additional public events include the Alpha Phi Alpha Candlelight Vigil at 4 p.m., Jan. 20; a staged reading of the dramatic work “The Mountaintop” at 5:30 p.m., Jan. 21; and an oratorical contest at noon, Jan. 24, both at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Dream Week 2020 is a cross-campus collaboration with the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion. Reservations and event information are available on the Northwestern’s MLK website.

Keynote speaker
Tarana Burke has dedicated more than 25 years of her life to social justice and to laying the groundwork for a movement that was initially created to help women of color who survived sexual abuse and assault. The ‘me too.’ Movement now inspires solidarity, amplifies the voices of thousands of victims of sexual abuse and puts the focus on survivors.

This year’s keynote speaker was selected with the 150 Years of Women celebration at Northwestern in mind. The year-long initiative celebrates groundbreaking women, womxn and gender-diverse individuals, who have taken risks, charted their own course and inspired transformational change. 

Burke will speak on the Chicago campus at noon in Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago Ave., and at 5 p.m. on the Evanston campus at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive.

The 2020 MLK Commemoration events schedule is as follows:

Evanston Events:

Workshop: “Social Media’s Impact on Sexual Violence Survivors”
Jan. 15, noon to 12:50 p.m.
Women’s Center, 2000 Sheridan Road  

Porchlight Counseling Services in Chicago will present a workshop for students about the impact of social media on sexual violence survivors. For more information, visit the Women’s Center website.

Community Conversation: Tarana Burke and MLK’s Legacy
Jan. 15, 6 to 8 p.m.
Women’s Center, 2000 Sheridan Road, Evanston

The Northwestern Women’s Center, SHAPE (Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators) and CARE (Center for Awareness, Response and Education) host an event for students, faculty and staff to connect the work of social activists Martin Luther King, Jr. and Tarana Burke. For more information, visit the Women’s Center website.

Eva Jefferson Day
Jan. 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive

Northwestern students will lead a full day of arts, crafts and discussion about the legacy of Dr. King for Family Focus Evanston students.

Candlelight Vigil: Dr. King’s “Beloved Community”: Where are We Now?
Jan. 20, 4 to 5 p.m.
Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road
Open to the community; voluntary contributions will be collected

The first MLK Day at Northwestern was established in 1980, three years before the national holiday was established, by the Alpha Mu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Dr. King’s fraternity. 

The Candlelight Vigil will include musical performances by student groups, poetry by spoken word artist Timothy Mays and a moderated conversation on King’s vision for “The Beloved Community.” Former Illinois state senator Alice Palmer (Ph.D. ’79) will moderate a panel that includes Karen Pittenger, Streetwise, Inc.; David Robinson, Manufacturing Renaissance; Mark Saint, University of Chicago Urban Crime Labs.

Sign language interpretation will be provided. Note the earlier start time of 4 p.m. from previous years.

Workshop: “Disclosing in the Time of #MeToo” with Deborah Tuerkheimer
Jan. 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Harris Hall, Room 107, 1881 Sheridan Road

Northwestern law professor Deborah Turkheimer will give a talk for students on the rise of informal reporting, including through social media, and how survivors may be impacted. The event is sponsored by CARE and Northwestern Women’s Center. For more information, visit the Women’s Center website.

Keynote address: Tarana Burke
Jan. 27, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive
Free admission; RSVP online

Burke shares the story behind the genesis and importance of the ‘me too.’ Movement, the story behind the viral 2017 TIME Person of The Year cover and offers strength and healing to those who have experienced sexual violence or harassment.

Resource tables and representatives from campus and community groups supporting survivors will be available in the lobby before and after the keynote event.

Chicago Events:

Workshop: “Social Media’s Impact on Sexual Violence Survivors”
Jan. 17, noon to 12:50 p.m.
Women’s Center, Abbott Hall, Room 1400, 
710 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

Porchlight Counseling Services in Chicago will present a workshop for students about the impact of social media on sexual violence survivors. For more information, visit the Women’s Center website.

Staged Reading: “The Mountaintop”
Jan. 21, 5:30 p.m. reception; 6 p.m. performance
Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago Ave.

Northwestern students present a staged reading of American playwright Katori Hall’s play “The Mountaintop,” a fictional account of Martin Luther King Jr.’s final night, set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel. A pre-show reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby.

Panel Discussion: Ongoing Racial Disparities in American Institutions
Jan. 22, Noon to 1 p.m.
Arthur Rubloff Building, Room 150
375 E. Chicago Ave.

This panel will explore the ongoing racial disparities that continue to plague American institutions. 

Screening: “Disclosing in the Time of #MeToo” with Deborah Tuerkheimer
Jan. 22, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Women’s Center, 1400 Abbott Hall, 710 Lake Shore Dr., Chicago

Northwestern law professor Deborah Turkheimer will give a talk for students on the rise of informal reporting, including through social media, and how survivors may be impacted. The event is sponsored by CARE and Northwestern Women’s Center. For more information, visit the Women’s Center website.

2020 MLK Day of Service Activities
Jan. 24 and 25, various times
Pritzker School of Law, Atrium
375 E. Chicago Ave.

Northwestern students and staff are invited to participate in a variety of community service projects in Chicago. Bus transportation is provided. Registration is required. For more information contact diversity@law.northwestern.edu.

MLK Oratorical Competition  
Jan. 24, noon to 1 p.m.
Arthur Rubloff Building, Room 150
375 E. Chicago Ave.

The public is invited to the final round of the Chicago Campus Oratorical Competition. The competition is open to all students currently enrolled in a program on the Chicago Campus of Northwestern University, including the Feinberg School of Medicine, The Graduate School, the Kellogg School of Management, the Pritzker School of Law, the School of Professional Studies and Allied Health Programs. Finalists will present their essays, and audience members will vote for their favorite oratorical performance. 

For more information on the competition, please email diversity@law.northwestern.edu. Lunch will be served.

Question and Answer Session: Tarana Burke
Jan. 27, noon to 1 p.m.
Pritzker School of Law, Thorne Auditorium
375 Rubloff Building

The Q & A event with ‘me too,’ Movement founder Burke, is hosted by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Northwestern School of Professional Studies, and it includes lunch and sign language interpretation. 

Resource tables and representatives from campus and community groups supporting survivors will be available in the lobby before and after the keynote event.

Any questions on the Chicago Campus Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration can be directed at diversity@law.northwestern.edu. 

More information is available on the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and Northwestern’s MLK Commemoration website.

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