MLK commemoration spotlights Chicago housing and segregation

The annual Northwestern celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King leans into Chicago’s history and ongoing efforts to reverse the harms of housing segregation.

Two weeks of programming kicks off Sunday, Jan. 12, at 3 p.m. with the Alpha Mu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity’s 45th annual candlelight vigil at Alice Millar Chapel and concludes with a virtual MLK oratorical contest on Friday, Jan. 24, at noon.

The 2025 MLK Commemoration keynote event featuring Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, a historian, cultural worker and creator of “You Don’t Know Chi!” will take place Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. in Galvin Hall. Following his remarks, Natalie Moore, senior lecturer at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, will join Thomas in conversation about MLK’s legacy in Chicago.

Many events are free and open to the public. For livestream links to hybrid events visit the Northwestern MLK website.

The full lineup of 2025 programming includes three events on the Evanston campus.

45th annual MLK Candlelight Vigil

Sunday, Jan. 12, 3 p.m. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.. Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road.

Hosted by the Alpha Mu Chapter of Dr. King’s fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha, this year’s address will be delivered by alum Michael Blake ’04, New York City mayoral candidate and former New York state representative. The program also features a performance by the Northwestern Community Ensemble gospel choir. A free will offering will be collected.

“Unmaking Segregation: Bold Stories of Crossing the Line and Sparking Change in a Divided City”

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 5 p.m., hybrid panel discussion. Parkes Hall, Room 122, 1870 Sheridan Road. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., light refreshments will be served. RSVPs are requested; the first 25 student attendees will receive a free copy of the book “Don’t Go.”

This panel will examine race, segregation and the meaning of place as told through the stories of individuals who ignored warnings not to move into certain neighborhoods, as well as the stories of those who have spent their lives in the south and west sides of Chicago. 

Panelists include Tonika Johnson, artist, activist and creator of the  “Folded Map Project,” and Maria Krysan, distinguished professor of sociology and award-winning author, featuring their newly published book, “Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It.” They’ll be joined by “Don’t Go” storytellers and Northwestern alumni, Caroline O’Boyle and Leslie Cortez.

This event is co-sponsored by the department of Black studies, the department of sociology, the Institute for Policy Research, Medill, Alumni Relations and Development and Student Affairs Campus Inclusion & Community.

Keynote: “Dilla” Thomas in conversation with Natalie Moore

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 5 p.m., hybrid event. Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Drive.

A proud lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side, Shermann “Dilla” Thomas founded Chicago Mahogany Tours to provide tours that allow him to share Chicago’s neighborhood history, architecture and culture with visitors.

Read the Northwestern Now story announcing the keynote event.

Thomas will be joined in conversation by Natalie Moore, senior lecturer and director of the audio journalism program at Medill. A Chicago native, Moore is known for her reporting on segregation and inequality for Chicago Public Radio station WBEZ. Her work has been broadcast on the BBC, Marketplace and NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. She is author of the award-winning book, “The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation.”

There are also four events on the Chicago campus.

Keynote livestream

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 5 p.m. Arthur Rubloff Building, 375 E. Chicago Ave., Room 150. RSVP for the Chicago livestream.

The Northwestern Pritzker School of Law will provide a livestream of the event with “Dilla” Thomas for community members unable to attend the Evanston event in person.

Panel conversation on redlining, segregation and urban renewal in Chicago

Wednesday, Jan. 22, noon, hybrid event. Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Arthur Rubloff Building, 375 E. Chicago Ave., Room 150. RSVP for virtual and in-person here; In-person attendance is limited to Northwestern students, staff and faculty; lunch provided.

This panel of experts features Franklin Cosey-Gay, executive director of the Urban Health Initiative’s community and external affairs at University of Chicago Medicine; Len Rubinowitz, professor of law at Northwestern Pritzker Law; and Nicole Fields, assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. The panel will be moderated by Eric Sirota, clinical associate professor and director of the Tenant Advocacy Center at Northwestern Law.

Screening “Punch 9 for Harold Washington”

Thursday, Jan. 23, noon. Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Levy Mayer Hall, 357 E. Chicago Ave., Lincoln Hall, Room 104. Attendance is limited to Northwestern students, staff and faculty. RSVP here.

The documentary film “Punch 9 for Harold Washington” chronicles the rise, reign and enduring legacy of Chicago’s first Black mayor. It features interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Vice Mayor Richard Mell, Valerie Jarret, David Axelrod and others as they recount Mayor Washington’s victory in a highly contested election that helped pave the way for the Obama presidency. Raymond Lambert, the film’s executive producer, will participate in an interactive discussion after the screening.

Note: Community members unable to stay until 2:30 p.m. for the entirety of the event can depart at 1 p.m.

Oratorical contest livestream

Friday, Jan. 24, noon on Zoom.

The topic of this year’s oratorical contest asks contestants to reflect on whether the City of Chicago has either achieved or fallen short of the Chicago Freedom Movement’s campaign to end unfair housing practices.

The competition is open to all Chicago campus students and staff. Students must be 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.

Contestants must be available to participate in the virtual oratorical competition on Friday, Jan. 24, from noon to 1 p.m. The competition will take place on Zoom. Submissions are due Thursday, Jan. 16 at noon. Applications and questions should be sent to diversity@law.northwestern.edu.