Celebrate MLK, Muhammad Ali, & Betty White
By Sidney Madden | @sidney_madden_
Hey, hey, City Cast friends and fam!
Ever wonder what Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Betty White all have in common? They’re all being celebrated over the long weekend.
You might already have Monday off in observance of MLK, but Illinois made Jan. 17 Muhammad Ali Day, and Oak Park, the birthplace of the “Golden Girls” star, made it Betty White Day.
P.S. We’ll be back in your inboxes and podcast feeds Tuesday 👋
📰 SOMETHING TO KNOW
▪️ U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush endorsed Karin Norington-Reaves, CEO of the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, for his coveted 1st District seat. [NBC Chicago]
▪️ Student loan servicing company Navient owes thousands of Illinoisans restitution payments and debt cancellations under a multistate settlement. [Chicago Sun-Times]
▪️ ShotSpotter, the controversial gunshot detection technology, isn’t just used by Chicago cops, City Cast Denver and City Cast Houston report. (Yep, City Cast is everywhere.)
▪️ The city is fielding applications from companies for its scooter-sharing program. Who’s joining the #ScooterGang? 👀 [City of Chicago]
▪️ City Cast’s Jacoby Cochran is hosting The Moth in Evanston Monday!
▪️ This week’s must-read.
✅ SOMEWHERE TO CELEBRATE, LEARN, & GIVE
SATURDAY: Betty White ceremony in Oak Park
Celebrate what would have been the beloved actor’s 100th birthday at the Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre Saturday at 10 a.m. Eat cake, adopt a pet in honor of White’s animal rights activism, and hear the singer of the “Golden Girls” theme song Cindy Fee!
SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Jazz-Gospel Messiah concert downtown
This world-class show at the Auditorium Theatre is a treat that’ll leave you feeling energized. Go Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
MONDAY: My Block My Hood My City winter gear dropoff in Chicago Lawn
Drop off coats, gloves, hats, scarves, and more for adults and children at Olive Branch Mission Monday from 10 a.m. to noon.
MONDAY: MLK Day films at Hyde Park Art Center
Catch “Martin Luther King’s Unsung Heroes in Chicago,” “The Black Archive Project: Chicago Uprisings 2020,” and “Unapologetic” followed by a panel with the filmmakers at the South Side center Monday from 4–7 p.m.
MONDAY: Family Days at museums in Old Town, Navy Pier
Kids and parents can learn about MLK through art, poetry, music, exhibits, and more at the Chicago History Museum and Chicago Children’s Museum.
MONDAY: Champions of Civic Justice discussion: Ali–MLK
Illinois is the first state to pass legislation observing the famed boxer and activist’s birthday, which falls on MLK Day this year. Join the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition to commemorate the two men, and to hear from panelists like Rev. Jesse Jackson and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton Saturday at 1 p.m.
🎧 Author Jonathan Eig told City Cast about Ali’s time in Chicago. He’s currently working on a book about MLK.
🎙️ SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO
Catch up on this week’s episodes!
💎 HIDDEN GEMS
Reader Terry Duchow told us to check out Lawrence’s Fish & Shrimp, and you can see why 🤤
The seafood restaurant has been serving Chicagoland since 1950. Today, you can get the signature shrimp in Pilsen and Evergreen Park, and out in Hillside and Lombard!
We want to know your secret Chi spots, and so does Terry: “Please keep the hidden gems coming! Good incentive to go to other parts of the city.”
👉 Tell us, and Terry, here!
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