Aurora To Honor Martin Luther King Jr. With Ceremony, Awards

AURORA, IL — Aurora will honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 15 with its 39th annual ceremony.

The event at 6 p.m. at Calvary Church, 9S200 Route 59, will reflect on the reverend's life and impact and award community members. Officials aim to answer the question, "What happens to a dream determined?" — a twist on Langston Hughes' 1951 question, "What happens to a dream deferred?"

This year, 17-year-old Ph.D. graduate Dorothy Jean Tillman and award-winning actor Tyler Lepley will serve as guest speakers.

Tillman, the granddaughter of former Chicago Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman, earned her bachelor's degree from Excelsior College at the age of 12 and her master's degree from Unity College in Maine just two years later. She went on to complete her doctorate in integrated behavioral health from Arizona State University.

The 17-year-old, who is the founder and CEO of Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute in Chicago and Capetown, South Africa, is "determined to inspire youth and to provide pathways for the next generation," city officials said in a news release.

Lepley is known for his roles on "Harlem" and the Tyler Perry-produced soap opera "The Have and the Have Nots." The New Orleans native went to Kutztown University on a football scholarship but when his professional football dreams were deterred, he graduated with a criminal justice degree and pursued acting after he was discovered in a Los Angeles gym.

"He found a new dream of acting, and the star is determined to make an impact on the industry and the world," officials said.

Reservations for the free Martin Luther King Day event can be made through Eventbrite.