Chicago History Museum Presents REMEMBERING DR KING 1929-1968 Exhibit Preview

Chicago History Museum REMEMBERING DR KING 1929-1968
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March, Joliet, Illinois, April 7, 1968. Chicago History Museum

The Chicago History Museum commemorates Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact in 2018, the fiftieth anniversary of his assassination, with an exhibition that explores his work in Chicago and around the nation.

“King’s work in Chicago illustrated that racism and racialized discrimination were not just southern problems but American ones,” said Joy Bivins, director of curatorial affairs at the Chicago History Museum. “We’re proud to host this exhibition as King’s work in our city, the nation and around the world continues to speak to us today.”

“Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968,” opens on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 15. The exhibition invites visitors to walk through a winding gallery that features over 25 photographs depicting key moments in Dr. King’s work and the Civil Rights movement, with a special focus on his time in Chicago.

Chicago, like other U.S. cities, erupted in the wake of King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. While the center of his activism was focused on dismantling southern Jim Crow, the systems that kept African Americans oppressed in the American South, he spent time in Chicago and often spoke out on the realities of northern discrimination, particularly around the issues of poverty, education and housing.

A timeline will ring the gallery and punctuate the key moments in King’s life and the Civil Rights movement. Important Chicago moments include two keynote speeches he delivered at Soldier Field, and King’s participation in the Chicago Freedom Movement in 1966 when he moved his family to a west side slum to highlight segregation in Chicago.

As visitors exit the gallery, a reflection space will prompt visitors to reflect on King’s impact and how his work for equality remains relevant today.

Chicago History Museum REMEMBERING DR KING 1929-1968
Civil Rights leaders Fred Shuttlesworth (left), Martin Luther King Jr. (center), and Ralph Abernathy (right) attend a funeral for victims of the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. The September 15, 1963 bombing killed four young African-American girls. Chicago History Museum
Chicago History Museum REMEMBERING DR KING 1929-1968
Martin Luther King Jr. standing at the podium on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial amidst a crowd of people during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963. Chicago History Museum

Families are invited to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Museum. Visitors can enjoy a production of ‘The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights’ by Writers Theatre and a musical performance by the Chicago Chamber Choir along with storytelling and crafts that reflect Dr. King’s messages of nonviolence and justice. More information on the day’s activities can be found online at chicagohistory.org.

Admission to the exhibition is included with regular Museum admission ($16 adults/ $14 seniors and students, and free for children 12 years of age and younger). The exhibition will run through December 2018. For more information on “Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968” visit chicagohistory.org/exhibitions.

 

When

January 15th, 2018 until December 2018

Photos

Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum

Where

Chicago History Museum
1601 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614

Tickets

On January 15th, admission is free for Illinois residents.

$16 - Adults/

$14 - Seniors and Students

Free - Children (12 years of age and younger)

Share this:

Make a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *