Description:

Join the Center for Civic Engagement and Open Communities as we commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s visit to the Northwestern campus and the 50th anniversary of his speech in the nearby suburbs. In 1958, King spoke at Tech Auditorium as part of Northwestern’s Mars lecture series, focusing on "The Crisis in Human Relations" and "The Christian Answer.” He came to town again in 1965, this time to speak on the Winnetka Village Green about housing discrimination and racial disparities. His speech added to the momentum sparked by the North Shore Summer Project (NSSP) – a group formed to break the pattern of segregated housing in several North Shore suburbs.

This panel discussion will explore King’s speeches – concerning both race relations and housing segregation – and illustrate how various organizations continue to confront these issues today, both on the Northwestern campus and beyond. Original NSSP member Nina Raskin, longtime civil rights activist Bennett Johnson, chair of Chicago Area Peace Action David Boris, and Open Communities Executive Director Gail Schecter will speak about housing discrimination today & the work of NSSP in the 1960s, while Northwestern archivist Kevin Leonard will present about Dr. King's visit to campus.

The event will take place in the Wildcat 101A room at Norris at 5pm on Tuesday, April 28. Light refreshments will be served.