Chicago Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With Museum Exhibits, Day Of Service
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago and the nation honor late civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday.
Most local government offices are closed, as well as post offices, libraries and most schools.
Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rainbow PUSH host the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency. The event raises money for PUSH Excel, which provides talented teens with college scholarships.
Jackson said Dr. King's impact in Chicago had a lasting impact on America.
"We have work to do, but much has been done, because he came to Chicago to challenge urban America to speak up and speak out," he said.
This year the breakfast also recognizes local leaders making significant strides in philanthropy and educational equality.
Meantime, the DuSable Museum of African American History is offering free admission Monday, and is hosting its annual family program, featuring music, lectures, and crafts.
The Obama Foundation is celebrating the holiday by teaming up with the Honeycomb Project to host a day of service and support programs for homeless teens. They will serve lunches for homeless youth who visit the Teen Living Programs drop-in center in the Washington Park neighborhood.
The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation and nonprofit Cradles to Crayons Chicago are collecting new and gently-used toys and winter clothing for homeless and low-income children. Donations can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at MB Ice Arena, 1801 W. Jackson Blvd., or at the South Side YMCA at 63rd and Stony Island; or when attending Tuesday night's Blackhawks game at the United Center.
While most schools will have the day off, Providence St. Mel in Garfield Park will be open, and founder Paul J. Adams III – who marched with King in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 – will share stories about King and the civil rights movement in Chicago.
The Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie will host a photo exhibit of Rev. King and other civil rights leaders, called "Activists and Icons."