On Monday, January 18th, as a part of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement’s first annual Appreciating Good Neighbors celebration, residents of the Bronzeville community and Illinois Institute of Technology students, faculty, and staff joined together on campus to commemorate and honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther Jr. Attendees reflected on Bronzeville’s historical connection to the civil rights movement and shared their visions for the community.
The program focused on important social issues that Illinois Tech and Bronzeville residents are working together to address. Keynote speaker, Sherry Williams, discussed opportunities to support women veterans who are homeless in Bronzeville. Sebastian Ellefson, Director of Content at Ballot Ready, spoke about the importance of empowering community members to be better informed on the candidates on their ballot. Ballot Ready also registered attendees to vote and introduced them to their educational app. Patrese McClain, local actor and educator, closed out the event with a powerful recitation Dr. King’s “Give Us the Ballot Speech”.
We were so excited to celebrate the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with our neighbors and look forward to continuing to work together over the course of the year to enact Dr. King’s dream of a more just and inclusive society.