Chicago honors Martin Luther King, Jr. at Rainbow PUSH event, CBS 2's Audrina Sinclair emcees
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
On this national holiday marking Dr. King's birthday, CBS 2 honors his life and legacy.
People braved the frigid cold to attend the annual Push for Excellence Breakfast at the Apostolic Church of God, at 6320 S. Dorchester Ave. in the Woodlawn neighborhood, on Monday morning. CBS 2's Audrina Sinclair helped emcee the Rainbow PUSH event.
The event focused on the potential of education – highlighting student talent and giving away college scholarships. A 7-year-old boy named Bradley Holt stole the show – reading from the book, "I Am a Phenomenal Black Boy," by Francesca Andre.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke about how education helped change how things are done in the city.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson also attended and received a standing ovation for his service and fight in the Civil Rights movement.
There was also young star power Monday at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Aurora. The celebration honored Dorothy Jean Tillman – a local 17-year-old Ph.D. grad student.
Tillman received her bachelor's degree from Excelsior College at the age of 12, and her master's degree from Unity College in Maine at 14.
Tillman, who is also the granddaughter of former Chicago Ald. Dorothy Tillman (3rd), has started an organization to help other young students in Chicago and South Africa called the Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute.
Also appearing at the Aurora event Monday was Tyler Lepley – known for his roles in "Tyler Perry's The Haves and The Have Nots," in "Harlem" in Amazon Prime."
The theme for this year's event in Aurora was, "What happens to a Dream Determined?" – an empowering paraphrase of the opening line of the 1951 poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes, which asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?"
And in downtown Chicago Monday, the Blue Cross Blue Shield building honored Dr. King's memory with the message, "Keep the dream alive," displayed in lights.