Many ways to explore Martin Luther King's legacy today and beyond in South Bend area

Cory Havens, South Bend Tribune
·8 min read
Pastor Odell Hughes addresses the crowd after joining the traditional Martin Luther King holiday march from the County-City Building to the statue of the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Feb. 17, 2022, in South Bend. Last year's events were delayed a month because of COVID-19 concerns.
Pastor Odell Hughes addresses the crowd after joining the traditional Martin Luther King holiday march from the County-City Building to the statue of the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Feb. 17, 2022, in South Bend. Last year's events were delayed a month because of COVID-19 concerns.

The South Bend area always honors Martin Luther King Jr. Day in big ways.

Marches, music, breakfasts, discussions, worship services and other events stretch before and after the actual holiday, which this year is Jan. 16.

Century Center

Century Center, at 120 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., South Bend, will host a full slate of events from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 16, including several vendors and exhibits. All are free unless otherwise noted.

∎ Community Service Breakfast: 7:30 to 9:15 a.m. Jan. 16. The deadline to obtain tickets has passed. The keynote speaker will be Girard Jenkins, vice president of Midwest and West operations at architecture and construction firm McKissack & McKissack, who is active in youth mentoring programs around his Chicago area home. South Bend Mayor James Mueller will give his annual Drum Major Awards for community service to Lynn Coleman of Let’s Turn It Around, Kimberly Green-Reeves of Beacon Health Systems and Jessie Whitaker of Project Impact. Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood will give his Drum Major Awards to Jack and Yoko Champaigne of Electronics, Inc. and to Jerrol Satterfield and Robert Eberlein, both of Vietnam Veterans of America. The annual Roland Kelly Award will be given to Indiana state Sen. David Niezgodski.

The u0022Undesign the Red Lineu0022 exhibit opened in December at the Main Branch of the St. Joseph County Public Library and will be featured Jan. 16, 2023, at Century Center as part of the venue's day-long observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The u0022Undesign the Red Lineu0022 exhibit opened in December at the Main Branch of the St. Joseph County Public Library and will be featured Jan. 16, 2023, at Century Center as part of the venue's day-long observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

∎ Undesign the Red Line: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 16. Exhibit shows the city's project to collect stories and feedback from South Bend residents to understand the history of race-based policies, events and laws that have negatively affected wealth building for the Black community. Antonius Northern will give a presentation from 11 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3 p.m. about the exhibit.

On display:Exhibit shares South Bend's history of racial redlining, resident stories and solutions

∎ Blood drive: 9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 16. Sign up in advance at 574-329-3150 or at the Bloodmobile in Century Center. Blood type and blood pressure screenings included. Call 574-234-1157 for alternate locations.

∎ COVID vaccine clinic: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 16. All doses of Pfizer vaccine available, including for ages 5-11. Walk in or register at OurShot.IN.gov.

∎ Finding Joy After COVID: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 16. Local mental health professionals lead a workshop exploring how the community is coping with social and emotional health and what steps individuals can take to heal.

∎ Creating and Building Wealth in Communities of Color: 10 to 11:30 am. Jan. 16. Workshop will explore strategies for creating an “economic plan for and by the poor.”

∎ Music, Politics and the Arts: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 16. Workshop panel will discuss the history of Black arts, music, poetry and film and how it has affected social justice movements.

∎ Traditional march: 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 16. Starts with songs, words and awards in the lobby of the County-City Building and proceeds to Century Center.

∎ I’m A Boss! Level Up Your Start Up!: noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 16. Panel discussion will talk about entrepreneurship, debunking myths and sharing resource and opportunities.

∎ Children’s activities: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 16. Children ages 5-10 are invited to join supervised crafts, stories, games and more in a room.

∎ Business Plan Entrepreneur awards: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 16. Project Impact will present winners of this contest and their business plan.

∎ Young Voices Share Concerns on Violence and Other Issues: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 16. Panel discussion with youths.

∎ Youth cultural program: 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16. Youths will present song, dance and other arts and receive community service awards.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala., in February 1968.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala., in February 1968.

St. Joseph County Public Library

∎ Early literacy workshop: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 16. Children, parents and other adults will learn five practices and other interactive activities that caregivers and kids can do together at the main library, 304 S. Main St., South Bend.

∎ Volunteer Lawyer Network: 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 16. The network will host an “Ask-a-Lawyer” event at the main library. Attorneys will be in attendance to provide free legal advice to the public at this walk-in clinic. Bring all pertinent information and documents. First come, first served basis. For more information, call 574-277-0075.

University of Notre Dame

∎ Charting the Pathways to Racial Justice: 4 p.m. Jan. 17. Panel of professors from various universities will discuss how true racial justice requires dealing with many kinds of racism and systemic racism with conviction and action in the auditorium of the Hesburgh Center for International Studies.

∎ Prayer Service: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22. The Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, will give the keynote speech in a service on King’s legacy and an end to racism and injustice at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. A candlelight march and reception will follow.

A traditional march for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday proceeds through downtown South Bend for last year's celebration.
A traditional march for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday proceeds through downtown South Bend for last year's celebration.

Elsewhere in South Bend

∎ The History Museum and Studebaker National Museum: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 16. Both museums will offer free admission. First-floor tours of the Oliver Mansion will be at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Tours are limited.

∎ Little Taste of Peace: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 28. This annual event, which gathers people in small groups for desserts, finger foods and intercultural exchanges, will be at the South Bend City Church in the Studebaker 112 building, 635 S. Lafayette Blvd., Suite BB, South Bend. The United Religious Community of St. Joseph County is organizing this year’s event, which will have participants explore refugee and immigrant resettlement through a series of cross-cultural simulations. Participants are encouraged to bring a dessert or other dish to share that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of religious and dietary backgrounds. The event is free, but participants must sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/little-taste-of-peace-2023-tickets-509782381827. For more information, contact the URC at info@urcsjc.org.

Read more about the church concerts:Symphony, choirs and King's 'Dream' back home at church concerts

Online: Health Equity Symposium

Saint Joseph Health System hosts this virtual event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 16 with various health care executives exploring racism in medicine. The livestream can be found at https://youtu.be/Q27ezcHQmF4. For questions, send email to diversityevents@trinity-health.org.

Elkhart

∎ Indiana Black Expo’s annual celebration: Jan. 16. Starts at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast at Elkhart Public Library, 300 S. Second St.; then 9:30 a.m. march to Community Missionary Baptist Church, 228 Chapman St.; then 10 a.m. King program at the church.

Goshen College

∎ Convocation: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 16 in Church-Chapel. Keynote speaker is Darryl Heller. Breakout sessions will be from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.

Lake Michigan College

All of these events will be in LMC’s Mendel Center, 2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor. For details and registration, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/MLK. For questions, contact Sonda Wagner at 269-927-8158 or swagner@lakemichigancollege.edu.

∎ Holiday activities: Jan. 16. Community breakfast at 7:30 a.m., with expo to follow. Winter Warmth Drive at 8 a.m. Winter Warmth kit packing service project at 1 p.m. Panel discussion on “What Do We Really Know About the Law?” at 7 p.m.

∎ Racism & Religion: Are We Practicing What We Preach?: 7 p.m. Jan. 17. Panel discussion.

∎ What is Allyship? Neighbors Organizing Against Racism: 7 p.m. Jan. 18. Panel discussion.

∎ Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World: Jan. 19. Dinner at 5:30 p.m., then speech by Will Haygood. Both require separate tickets: $60-$30 for the talk; $35 for dinner; $20 for livestream.

∎ Concert: 7 p.m. Jan. 20. Saxophonist Erick Fisher and 3CM will perform.

Southwest Michigan

Story times and craft projects about King’s legacy will happen at the following times, dates and libraries.

∎ Jan. 16: 4 p.m. at Bridgman Public Library, 4460 Lake St., Bridgman.

∎ Jan. 17: 10:30 a.m. at Coloma Public Library, 151 W. Center St., Coloma; 10:30 a.m. at Three Oaks Township Library, 3 N. Elm St., Three Oaks; and 6:30 p.m. at Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St., Niles.

∎ Jan. 18: 10:30 a.m. at Buchanan District Library, 128 E. Front St., Buchanan; 10:30 a.m. at Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St., Niles; 11:30 a.m. at Benton Harbor Public Library, 213 E. Wall St., Benton Harbor and all day (crafts) at Lincoln Township Public Library, 2099 W. John Beers Road, Stevensville.

∎ Jan. 19: 10 a.m. at Lake Michigan College Library, 4 p.m. at New Buffalo Township Library, 33 N. Thompson St., New Buffalo; and 4:30 p.m. at Three Oaks Township Library, 3 N. Elm St., Three Oaks.

∎ Benton Harbor Team Solutions/BEST Early present "Breaking the Silence": 1 p.m. Jan. 16 on Zoom. Berrien County high school students will choose their favorite clips from King's speeches and share why they chose them and why their chosen speech is relevant to them. To register, go to go to https://www.zoom.us/join. The event also airs live on WVBH-FM (105.3).

Porter

The Indiana Dunes National Park will show the movie, "Martin Luther King - I Have a Dream" at 1 p.m. CST Jan. 16 at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 N. Indiana 49. For more information, call 219-395-1882.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend area to honor King's legacy with lots of events