The C-U Black & African Arts Festival mission is to expose and give a culturally diverse experience to the Champaign-Urbana, IL community by expressing both Black and African heritage. This includes, and is not limited to: Art, music, fashion. Friday, September 9 The Soul Rebels at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts | 8:30 p.m.

The C-U Black & African Arts Festival mission is to expose and give a culturally diverse experience to the Champaign-Urbana, IL community by expressing both Black and African heritage. This includes, and is not limited to: Art, music, fashion. Friday, September 9 The Soul Rebels at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts | 8:30 p.m.

Mark Hanson, former curator for the Chanute Air Museum and current curator at the Museum of the Grand Prairie (both in Champaign County) has been an active local researcher for over 11 years. Mark has researched and preserved the history of the original members of the Tuskegee airmen during his time at the Chanute Air

This exhibition will feature Black faculty in the School of Art & Design through the lens of the Black Quantum Future as proposed by Philadelphia-based activists and theorists Rasheeda Phillips and Camae Ayewa. The collaborative exhibition will explore Black identity, collectivity, positionality, healing, innovation, and education as explored via a multi-leveled/multi-dimensional immersive, critical, and openly

Nabil Ayers will be at the Krannert Art Museum on September 24 as part of Pygmalion. Please visit the Pygmalion website for information about purchasing tickets. Nabil Ayers is the President of Beggars Group USA, where he has released albums by many GRAMMY Award-winning artists. Ayers has written about music and race for publications including

Ayana Contreras will be at 25 O'Clock Brewing Co. as part of Pygmalion, in partnership with the Urbana Arts + Culture Program. Please visit the Pygmalion website for information about purchasing tickets. Ayana Contreras is a cultural historian, memory worker, radio DJ and archivist.  An avid collector with over 8000 vintage vinyl records, she hosts the

James Spooner will be at 25 O'Clock Brewing Co. as part of Pygmalion, in partnership with the Urbana Arts + Culture Program. Please visit the Pygmalion website for information about purchasing tickets. James Spooner is an accomplished tattoo artist, illustrator, and filmmaker. He directed the seminal documentary Afro-Punk. Spooner is also the co-founder of the Afro-punk

Join the Krannert Art Museum for a talk by Dr. Kelli Morgan, Professor of the Practice and the inaugural Director of Curatorial Studies at Tufts University, presented as part of the Black on Black on Black on Black exhibition. About the artist Dr. Kelli Morgan is a Professor of the Practice and the inaugural Director of Curatorial Studies at

Join the Krannert Art Museum for an back to back DJ performance lecture by multidisciplinary artist Shenece Oretha and exhibiting artist Blair Ebony Smith (lovenloops), presented as part of the Black on Black on Black on Black exhibition. Shenece Oretha (b. Montserrat) is a London based multidisciplinary artist sounding out the mobilizing potential of sound and

Join Soulful Justice in this 3-Part Roundtable discussion series where we to listen to and learn from Black residents and BIPOC allies. The goal of this series is simple, we want to see black people thrive in Champaign-Urbana! But we need your help! We want to learn more about the Black experience in navigating economic, health

Join Soulful Justice in this 3-Part Roundtable discussion series where we to listen to and learn from Black residents and BIPOC allies. The goal of this series is simple, we want to see black people thrive in Champaign-Urbana! But we need your help! We want to learn more about the Black experience in navigating economic, health

Black Santa is coming to town and making a special appearance at Neil St. Blues. Capture the moment and take a FREE professional family photo with Santa by photographer Matt Difanis with RE/MAX Realty Associates. Santa will be available for photos between 1pm and 3pm on Saturday, December 3. This event is free and open

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 January 10, 2023, the book club will discuss Brendan Slocumb's novel The Violin Conspiracy. "Ray McMillian loves playing the violin more than anything, and nothing will stop him

Kick off your new year with an online conversation about joy with best-selling essayist and award-winning poet Ross Gay. This conversation will explore the joy we incite when we turn our attention to what we love and what brings us together. Ross Gay will discuss his most recent collection of essays, Inciting Joy, with performance poet

Advocacy for Social Justice and MLK Countywide Committees 38th Annual Dr. MLK Jr. Service of Celebration Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 5:00 PM Krannert Center for the Performing Arts 500 South Goodwin Avenue Urbana, Illinois 61801 Featured Keynote Speaker: Rev. Joel King nephew of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The partnership of the Advocacy for

Community members are invited to attend the 38th Annual Unity Breakfast sponsored by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Advocacy for Justice Committee and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and hosted by the Vineyard Church. Please join us as we honor Dr. King, the most important voice of the civil rights movement and recognize

Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday by joining with U-C Books to Prisoners to help with book sorting and selecting for the incarcerated people who write to request books from us.  Please sign up for either the morning session or the afternoon session. At each sessions there will be two kinds of work to do, and an

An Urbana High School student is putting together a blood drive on MLK Day. This is a great act of service to give back to our community! Just one blood donation can save up to three lives. #PowerofU116 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧: Monday, Jan. 16 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: King Elementary | 1108 Fairview Ave. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Join other community members for a walk celebrating peace. The walk will begin and end at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Parking is available at King School and along Wascher Drive. Walking route maps will be provided at the park. Sponsored by City of Urbana, The Urbana Free Library, Urbana Park District, Urbana Rotary Club,

On Monday, January 16, 2023, the University of Illinois Police Department will commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day of Service by creating a space where members of the community will have to opportunity to work together with a variety of Non-Profit organizations alongside some of our police officers. Dr. King once said that the “The

Make your day off count! Join the Museum of the Grand Prairie as we explore the rich cultural heritage of the African American community in Champaign County on this Martin Luther King Day. We will learn about the life of Dr. King, celebrate his legacy, and explore how we can keep his mission alive today.

Keynote: Dr. Jamie Washington, co-founder of the Social Justice Training Institute Every Spring, the Office of Civic Life assists students in exploring the legacy of service of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This program is a part of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Commemorative Celebration. This year, the MLK

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