The College of Education will award the winners and honorable mention recipients of the K-12 MLK Creative Expressions Contest. This event will highlight the talents of our local students through essay, poems, and art. Sponsored by the College of Education, and the 2023 MLK Commemorative Planning Committee. For additional information contact Victor H. Perez, vhperez@illinois.edu.

Please register here (https://form.jotform.com/223406851908964) for a virtual talk by Kumasi J. Barnett, presented in conjunction with In Blackest Shade, In Darkest Light exhibition at Giertz Gallery at Parkland College and the Black on Black on Black on Black lecture series. This is available online through Zoom. We are excited to have you join us! Date: Thurday, January 26, 2023 Time: 6 PM

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech to thousands of civil rights marchers in Washington D.C. This has famously become known as his "I Have a Dream" speech, in which he talks about the racial injustices black people face and how it "is the time to make real the promises of democracy." 60

The impact of poverty in any community can be both devastating and hastening. It is a reality for many individuals and families; it’s difficult to truly understand poverty unless you have experienced poverty. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s advocacy work around poverty issues, the School of Social Work, in partnership with the Office

The Urbana School District #116's Black History Month kickoff in honor of Janice Mitchell will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2023, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. at the Dr. Preston L. Williams, Jr. Elementary School Gym (2102 E. Washington St., Urbana). Interactive learning activities for children will run from 3:00–3:30 p.m., and the program will begin

Learn about famous people, places, and events in Black History by making your own bingo card and playing together at our weekly do-it-yourself activity for kids. Hosted by the Champaign Public Library Douglass Branch.

Concurrent with "In Blackest Shade, In Darkest Light" exhibition, Krannert Art Museum is hosting an exhibition featuring Black faculty in the School of Art & Design. This exhibition includes participating artists Patrick Hammie and Stacey Robinson. The collaborative exhibition explores Black identity, collectivity, positionality, healing, innovation, and education as explored via a multi-leveled/multi-dimensional immersive, critical, and

Join the Illinois Libraries for an evening of inspiration and conversation with bestselling and award-winning children’s and young adult author and poet, Kwame Alexander, author of the Newbery Award winning book, The Crossover, Newbery Honor/Caldecott Medal winning book, The Undefeated, The Door of No Return, and most recently, An American Story, for an Illinois Libraries

Parkland College is hosting a Community Education African American Film Series on Thursday, February 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Room U140. Contact the office of Student Life at Parkland for more information: Office: U111 Phone: 217/351-2492 Fax: 217/373-3835 stulife@parkland.edu Hours: Mon., Thurs., 8:00 am-6 pm Tue., Wednesday., Friday.,  8:00 am-5 pm

Parkland College's Black History Month programming includes an online Bystander Intervention Training. Tuesday, February 14 10 am and 1 pm sessions Everyone has the right to be who they are, wherever they are. Learn how to respond, intervene, and heal from harassment. Join your fellow students and colleagues for training online or in person Student Union

Parkland College's Black History Month programming includes an online Bystander Intervention Training. Tuesday, February 14 10 am and 1 pm sessions Everyone has the right to be who they are, wherever they are. Learn how to respond, intervene, and heal from harassment. Join your fellow students and colleagues for training online or in person Student Union

Join the Champaign Public Library's casual monthly get-togethers to talk about books by contemporary African American writers. New members are welcome; call 217/403-2090 for more information. On February 14, 2023, the book club will discuss The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. "The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P.

Learn how to start using Google Maps in your genealogy research! Register for the online program here: https://urbanafreelibrary.libnet.info/event/7792434 Do you love maps? Spend this Valentine's Day with the Champaign County Genealogical Society and Linda Debe, a tech-savvy genealogist, who will show how to effectively use Google Maps for genealogical research. "Google My Maps" provides a way to visualize