The best ways to honor Martin Luther King Jr. with your kids in Chicago
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Monday, January 16. With the kids off from school, you may be looking for ways to recognize this important holiday and honor & explore Dr. King’s inspiring legacy. Fortunately, Chicago has so many great museum exhibits, concerts, and service opportunities to choose from.
Did you know Martin Luther King, Jr. spent a lot of time in Chicago? He visited many times in the first decade of his public career. In 1965, he teamed up with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to fight against segregation in Chicago Public Schools. He then became a leader in the Chicago Freedom Movement. The mission of the Chicago Freedom Movement was to end slums in the city, and it inspired two marches into all-white neighborhoods as part of an open-housing campaign. Martin Luther King, Jr. even lived for a time in a West side ghetto.
To learn more, visit the DuSable Museum of African American History or The Chicago History Museum. Appreciate the contributions of the African American community at the Chicago Sinfonietta or The Museum of Science and Industry. Follow Dr. King’s example by participating in a day of service. Whichever you choose, we got you covered with some excellent options for spending the holiday.
1. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at the Chicago History Museum
Commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Chicago History Museum's day-long family event. Join the museum as they reflect on his life and work, particularly in Chicago with the Chicago Freedom Movement, through special family-friendly activities and performances. This event is FREE with Museum admission, which is complimentary for Illinois residents on this day.
Date: Jan. 16, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
Lincoln Park
Online: chicagohistory.org
2. Chicago History Museum's Remembering Dr. King
Remembering Dr. King is a collection of 25 photographs depicting key moments in Dr. King's work during the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit places a special emphasis on his time in Chicago shedding light on the existence of discrimination and segregation. the abysmal state of housing and the realities of poverty in the north.
Date:Ongoing
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
Lincoln Park
Online: chicagohistory.org
3. Chicago Sinfonietta's Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Concert
Leading the nation in programming works by women and diverse, under-represented composers, Chicago Sinfonietta, the nation’s most diverse orchestra, presents its annual MLK Tribute Concert, "Thunder", celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through family, equity and the encouragement to execute positive change.
Date: Jan. 15, 3 p.m.
Wentz Concert Hall
171 E. Chicago Ave.
Naperville
Date: Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Symphony Center
220 S. Michigan Ave.
Loop
Online: chicagosinfonietta.org
4. Cradles to Crayons Donation Drive
Cradles to Crayons invites Chicagoland families to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by donating new or gently-used children's items at one of their 37 drop-off locations. The nonprofit organization provides essentials such as clothing, coats, books and toys to ensure all children, regardless of their socio-economic status, have what they need to feel safe, warm and valued. Click this link for a list of accepted items.
Date:Jan. 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Various drop-off locations
Online: cradlestocrayons.org
5. DuSable Museum of African American History
Every day is a good day to visit the DuSable Museum of African American History. Home to hundreds of artifacts from the Civil Rights Movement, you will not only learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, but also about the entire African American experience and accomplishments.
Date:Ongoing
DuSable Museum
740 E. 56th Pl.
Washington Park
Online: dusablemuseum.org
6. Institute for Nonviolence Chicago: Building the Beloved Community
Responding to Dr. King's question-"What are you doing for others?," the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago invites all ages to donate and help assemble toiletry packs, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, socks, and gloves, for neighbors in need.
Date:Jan. 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
819 N Leamington Ave.
Austin
Online: nonviolencechicago.org
7. Museum of Science and Industry's Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition
Established in 1970, the Museum of Science and Industry’s Juried Art Exhibition is the nation’s longest-running exhibition of African-American Art, presenting more than 100 works of art from emerging and established African American artists. The exhibition is just one part of the Museum’s Black Creativity program which showcases achievements in scientific, artistic and technical fields by African-Americans.
Date:Jan. 16-Apr. 23
Museum of Science & Industry
5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Hyde Park
Online: msichicago.org
8. University of Chicago's MLK Commemoration Celebration
The University of Chicago will host its 33rd annual MLK Commemoration Celebration. The event is free and open to the public. It is held at the University's Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, where Dr. King himself spoke in the same space in 1956 and 1959.
Date:Jan. 23, 6pm
University of Chicago Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
5850 South Woodlawn Avenue
Hyde Park
Online: mlk.uchicago.edu
9. Fifth Annual King Day of Service: Bronzeville
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the University of Chicago's University Community Service Center has partnered with community organizations across Bronzeville to bring together residents, nonprofits organizations, and institutions to work on beautification projects at Chicago Public Schools and other community sites.
Date:Jan. 16, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Bronzeville
Online: mlk.uchicago.edu
