Here’s the lineup of events for Martin Luther King (MLK) Week 2017:
Chicago Sinfonietta
“MLK Tribute Concert”
Sunday, January 15, 3 p.m.
Wentz Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center
$60, $48, $10/students
With the help of young, diverse musicians and singers from across Chicago, the Chicago Sinfonietta will stage an intergenerational dedication to those who came before us and rally behind those working to make equality and freedom for all. The concert culminates in an epic performance of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
Annual Prayer Breakfast Speaker
Lisa Horton ’94 Pettaway M ’00
Monday, January 16, 7 a.m.
Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 2nd Floor
Free, RSVP to 630-637-5151
Usually the one who helps recruit speakers for North Central’s annual MLK Prayer Breakfast, Lisa Horton ’94 Pettaway M ’00 is this year’s keynote speaker. With an MBA and degrees in sociology and theatre from North Central, she leads a team of development professionals responsible for growing the College’s unrestricted giving and managing its fundraising campaigns. She’ll share her experiences as a student and administrator.
Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Speaker
Roxane Gay
Tuesday, January 17, 7 p.m.
Wentz Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center
Free for North Central community, $5/public
In her talk, titled “Roxane Gay: Bad Feminist and Difficult Woman,” Gay will address controversies about feminism and the current political climate. An award-winning and New York Times best-selling author, she’s written “Bad Feminist,” “An Untamed State” and newly released “Difficult Women.” On the faculty at Purdue University, she contributes to The New York Times and PANK.
“13th” Documentary Screening
Wednesday, January 18, 7 p.m.
Harold and Eva White Activities Center, Fireside Lounge
Free. A 2016 documentary, “13th” is an in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequality.
Fireside Chat
Friday, January 20, noon
Harold and Eva White Activities Center, Banquet Hall
Free. Viewing and discussion of the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States.
The Union
Sho Baraka and Diversity Monologues
Friday, January 20, 7 p.m.
129 W. Benton Ave.
Free for North Central community with ID
Christian hip-hop artist Sho Baraka and Diversity Monologues contest finalists will perform.
Airgo Radio Concert
Saturday, January 21, 7 p.m.
Madden Theatre, Fine Arts Center
Free. Damon Williams and commentator Daniel Kisslinger cohost a concert and discussion with Chicago hip-hop artists and activists Malcolm London and Bella Bahhs.
Archives Exhibit
“Black Academics, Activism and Art at North Central College: 1959-1974”
Winter term 2017
Oesterle Library reference room
This exhibit focuses on African American North Central College students’ experiences from the civil rights movement in the late 1950s through the development of the Black Power Movement in the 1970s. Featuring pages of The Chronicle, Black Student Association (BSA) documents, and an oral history from an African American alumna, it covers the exchange program between North Central and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), development of North Central’s BSA and the Black Cultural Center (now the Multicultural Center).
During February, North Central hosts this gospel performance as part of its celebration of Black History Month.
29th Annual Gospel Extravaganza
Chicagoland Showcase
Saturday, February 4, 7:30 p.m.
Wentz Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center
Free North Central students, $15/adults, $10/students and seniors
Join local church, high school, college and professional gospel groups for a night of high-spirited music and praise.