MLK Day 2018: What's Open, What's Closed In Evanston

EVANSTON, IL — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will be celebrated Monday across the country. It's the 32nd year a federal holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader has been observed.

While many in Chicagoland will still have have to work, most schools and government offices will take a break. Plus, many community events are being held to mark the occasion.

Here’s what you can expect to find open and closed in Evanston on Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

• Schools: District 65 schools and Evanston Township High School will be closed.

• Evanston Public Library: All local library branches will be open Jan. 15.

• Banks: Most bank branches will be closed.

• Facilities: The Morton Civic Center, Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Levy Senior Center, Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center, Chandler-Newberger Center and Evanston Ecology Center will be closed on January 15. Robert Crown Community Center will be open from 5:30 a.m. to midnight on January 15, with office hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Parking: Meters and downtown garages are free Jan. 15.

• U.S. Postal Service: Post offices will be closed and there will be no mail delivery.

• Garbage Pickup: No refuse or recycling collections will occur on Monday, Jan. 15. Monday through Thursday collections will occur one day later in the week than usual. Friday condo recycling collections will occur on Friday, Jan. 19.

The City of Evanston is Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Jan. 13-31

The City of Evanston invites everyone to attend the “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Celebration and Unity" on Saturday, January 13, beginning at noon. The celebration will be held at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St., Evanston.

This celebration promises to be inspiring and entertaining, as it will focus on the Civil Rights Movement and the young people who are continuing the struggle today. The keynote speaker is ETHS grad and Northwestern University student Nolan Robinson and King Arts student Ca'ron Walker will give a spoken word presentation. Other speakers scheduled to appear include Mayor Stephen Hagerty, 5th Ward City Council Member Robin Rue Simmons, and former Mayor Lorraine H. Morton.

The Evanston Children's Choir, Second Baptist Church Children's Choir and Faith Temple Children's Choir will perform and refreshments will be served after the program courtesy of Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center. All are welcome to stay and meet their Evanston neighbors.

Other events in January honoring Dr. King include Y.O.U's 12th annual 'Diverse Communities United" event at ETHS on Jan. 13; a candlelight vigil at Northwestern University on Jan. 15; a Black Lives Matter Witness Quilt Artmaking event on Jan. 31; and much more.

» via the City of Evanston – View more 2018 MLK day events in Evanston

Northwestern University is holding two weeks of mostly free events to commemorate King's life and legacy:

Eva Jefferson Day
Monday, Jan.15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive
Evanston students grades K-12 will come to Northwestern to enjoy a full day of arts, crafts and discussion about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Campus Observance: Candlelight Vigil featuring Don Thompson
Monday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road
Alpha Mu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. hosts Chicago-born engineer and business executive Don Thompson for this program that includes musical performances by Northwestern student groups and a post-event reception. This will be a sign language interpreted event.

MLK Days of Service and Learning

• Day of Service at Gale Community Academy 1631 W Jonquil Terrace, Chicago Monday, Jan. 15, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Northwestern students are invited to participate in a large-scale service project to transform learning spaces at Gale Community Academy in Rogers Park with other local university students and community members. Registration is required.

• “Inside Chicago” Friday, Jan. 19, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive McCormick Auditorium, 5 p.m., program Wildcat Room, 6 p.m., buffet reception

A fast-moving, interactive educational program about Chicago’s history with race with local community leaders followed by a buffet dinner in the Wildcat Room. The event is free and open to the public.

• Open Mic: “Lift Ev’ry Voice” Friday, Jan. 19, 7 to 8 p.m. Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive Wildcat Room, 6:30 p.m., buffet reception McCormick Auditorium, 7 p.m., open mic

“Lift Ev’ry Voice” is an open mic dedicated to providing a megaphone for black Northwestern students’ voices. Participants are encouraged to share up to 10 minutes of a play, a song, a poem, a short film or speech. Submissions are closed. Contact val.buchanan@northwestern.edu for more information.

Performance: “Afrocensored”
Jan. 18 and 20, 8 p.m.
Shanley Pavilion, 2031 Sheridan Road
This play written by Amira Danan explores the lives of three black women from different walks of life traveling through Paris. The women come to realize that they may be less alone in their experiences than they believed themselves to be.

Performance: “Chains on Chocolate”
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Shanley Pavilion, 2031 Sheridan Road
“Chains on Chocolate,” a play by Elliot Sagay, investigates how slavery may have been molded into new forms of oppression throughout America’s history. The play touches on different moments in history following the lives of similar black men.

Campus Observance: Keynote Speaker Charles M. Blow
Thursday, Jan. 25, 6 p.m.
Ryan Auditorium, Technological Institute, 2145 Sheridan Road
Charles M. Blow, New York Times op-ed columnist and CNN commentator, is the 2018 keynote speaker. Blow tackles hot-button issues such as social justice, racial equality, presidential politics, police violence, gun control and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Northwestern musical groups also will perform. This event is open to the public, and sign language interpretation will be provided.

Harambee Celebration
Friday, Jan. 26, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Norris University Center, Louis Room, 1999 Campus Drive
Swahili stands for “pull together.” While Swahili is one of thousands of languages spoken in Africa and throughout the African diaspora, at Northwestern the community “pulls together” to celebrate and affirm the history of African, Afro-Caribbean and African American culture. Bringing together students, staff, faculty and alumni, Harambee kicks off Black History Month and features a variety of performances, music and food for everyone to enjoy. Sponsored by For Member’s Only, Northwestern’s Black Student Alliance (FMO), and Multicultural Student Affairs.

Artmaking Event: Witness Quilt
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 6 to 9 p.m.
Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, 6 p.m., welcome
Segal Visitors Center, 1841 Sheridan Road, 7 to 9 p.m., sewing circle
Join Evanston-based artist and activist Melissa Blount, creator of the Black Lives Matter Witness Quilt, to produce a new collaborative work of art. No sewing experience is required. RSVP online.
Chicago Campus Events

Documentary Film: “70 Acres in Chicago: Cabrini Green”
Thursday, Jan. 18, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Rubloff 150, Lowden Hall, 375 E. Chicago Ave.
5 p.m., reception
5:45 p.m., screening
6:45 p.m., discussion
Home to thousands, misunderstood by millions, Cabrini Green once towered over Chicago’s most valuable neighborhoods. A looming reminder of inequality and poverty, Cabrini’s high-rises were demolished and an African-American community cleared to make room for another social experiment: mixed-income neighborhoods. Shot over the course of 20 years, “70 Acres in Chicago” documents this upheaval, from the razing of the first buildings in 1995, to the clashes in the mixed-income neighborhoods a decade later. “70 Acres in Chicago” tells the volatile story of this hotly contested patch of land, while looking unflinchingly at race, class, and who has the right to live in the city.

Chicago Campus Keynote Address: Charles M. Blow
Thursday, Jan. 25, noon
Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago Ave.
Charles Blow, New York Times op-ed columnist and CNN commentator, delivers the 2018 MLK Commemoration keynote address. This event is open to the public, and sign language interpretation will be provided. Online reservations are requested.

“‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal’ are words found in the Declaration of Independence and were also spoken by Martin Luther King Jr.” Kathleen Nganga, MLK Commemoration Committee co-chair said.

“They reveal a commitment to truth and to social justice. Therefore, in the spirit of these words, we selected Charles Blow because of his commitment to social justice, journalism and truth finding.”

» via Northwestern University – Visit NU's 2018 MLK events website for more information

_{Top photo via City of Evanston}