Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960. (National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Jack Lewis Hiller)
On Tuesday, Jan. 17, all DePaul faculty, staff, students and alumni are invited to attend the university's 26th annual prayer breakfast honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This program at the Lincoln Park Student Center celebrates King's life and legacy as an activist for social justice.
RSVPs are requested both for in-person attendees and those who prefer to watch the program online over Zoom.
Jahmal Cole, the founder and CEO of the Chicago-based civic organization
My Block My Hood My City, is this year's keynote speaker. My Block My Hood My City aims to inspire youth to build community and expand their networks, and Cole has been recognized often by Chicago organizations for the impact of his social justice work.
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. will receive a lifetime achievement award at the breakfast. Jackson, perhaps the most successful American civil rights leader of his generation, founded both Operation PUSH and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to pursue social justice objectives; the two organizations merged in 1996 into the
Rainbow PUSH Coalition. His presidential campaigns forced national politicians to reckon with the needs of voters of color in forming platforms. Jackson worked closely with King to establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket, a project that brought him to Chicago in 1966, and the two men were together on the evening of King's assassination.
DePaul University's
Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity sponsors and organizes this annual event.
26th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast
Tuesday, Jan. 17
10 a.m.
Lincoln Park Student Center, Room 120 A/B
RSVP