Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago
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Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King in Chicago, 1966. Photo: Bernard Kleina
We celebrate Martin Luther King Day on Monday, commemorating a man with many ties to Chicago.
Why it matters: It's been 56 years since King famously moved to Chicago to protest housing inequality as part of the Chicago Freedom Movement.
Driving the news: There are a handful of activists and advocates who spent time with King still living in Chicago today. Here are just a few:
Rev. Jesse Jackson: Arguably the most influential and powerful of King's inner-circle, Jackson was with him in 1968 when he was assassinated in Memphis.
- Must watch: The Hulu Documentary "Summer of Soul" features Jackson on stage in 1969 telling the assassination story just months after it happened.
Dorothy Tillman: The legendary Chicago alderperson served for 22 years. Before that, she was a civil rights activist who marched with King in Chicago.
- Radio: Tillman still maintains a public persona, hosting talk shows at WVON.
Rep. Danny Davis: The West Side congressman was right there with King during the Freedom Movement in 1966. He has continued the fight for affordable housing in a number of political jobs since 1979.
- Fun fact: With Bobby Rush retiring, Davis takes over as the longest serving congressman in Illinois (if he wins reelection).
Carol Moseley Braun: As a young girl, Moseley Braun marched with King in Gage Park.
- She later became an Illinois state representative and was the first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Bernard Kleina: The photographer documented King's time here, including a march in Marquette Park when Chicagoans struck him with rocks.
- On display: Kleina's King photography was featured at theElmhurst Art Museum in 2021.
