2026 University Program and Events
Alpha Phi Alpha Candlelight Vigil
Keynote Speaker: Pastor Charlie Dates
Dr. Charlie Dates serves as the Senior Pastor of both Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago and the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. Dr. Dates earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication and Rhetoric at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and both a Master of Divinity Degree and PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He successfully defended his dissertation for the PhD in Historical Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His original research focuses on the burden of black preaching in late 20th Century Chicago.
A fierce advocate for justice rooted in righteousness, Dr. Dates is the founder of several initiatives including the Progressive Center for Counseling & Justice, a hub for trauma-informed care and systemic transformation; the Black Boy Literacy Campaign, a bold citywide movement to help 1,000 Black boys reach grade-level reading by age 10; and the Spend in the Black Commerce Corridor, which channels strategic investment into Black-owned businesses on Chicago’s South Side.
January 18, 2026
2:00pm CST
Alice Millar Chapel (and livestreamed)
1870 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208
Event is free and open to the public.
Keynote Panel: Our Beloved Community
The MLK Commemoration 2026 Keynote will feature a panel of experts comprised of Northwestern faculty and community leaders. The panel will be moderated by Sylvester Johnson (Chair and Professor of Black Studies, Northwestern University), in conversation with Leslie Harris (Professor of History, Northwestern University), Kate Masur (John D. MacArthur Professor of History, Northwestern University), Morris “Dino” Robinson (Production Manager, Northwestern Press and Founder, Shorefront Legacy Center), and Laurice Bell (Executive Director, Shorefront Legacy Center). The Keynote will break down the concept, practice and possibilities of “Beloved Community” and be livestreamed from the Evanston Campus to Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
When: January 20, 2026 at 5:00pm CST, with a reception to follow
Where: Mary B Galvin Recital Hall,
70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
Event is free and open to the public! Register here.
2026 MLK Commemoration Evanston Campus Events
Date and Time |
Event |
Location |
|
Sunday, January 18 |
Alpha Phi Alpha Candlelight Vigil | Alice Millar Chapel 1870 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60208 event will be livestreamed |
| Monday, January 19 | Eva Jefferson Day for Family Focus students | |
| Tuesday, January 20 5:00 pm CST |
Keynote Panel: Our Beloved Community (register here) reception to follow, open to all attendees |
Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall 70 Arts Circle Drive event will be livestreamed |
| Tuesday, January 27 1:30 pm CST |
What We Carry workshop and reflection (register here) | Office of Community Enrichment 1800 Sherman Ave. Suite 5-200 (5th floor), Evanston, IL 60201 |
What We Carry Workshop
During this year's MLK Commemoration, we pause to remember not only what Dr. King stood for, but also what each of us carries forward in service of a more just and compassionate world.
What We Carry is a personal archive kit — a small envelope filled with simple materials and powerful prompts designed to help you reflect on your life, labor, and values. It’s a space to notice the everyday moments that shape who you are and who we are together.
This project invites you to begin archiving not just what happened, but how it felt to show up, to care, to stretch, to struggle, to keep going. It affirms that your story — your perspective, your labor, your growth — is part of our beloved community and worth preserving.
And if you’d like to share what emerged, join us for an optional Restorative Circle, where we’ll reflect together on what we’ve been holding — and what has been holding us.
Evanston Campus: January 27, 2026
1:30pm CST
Office of Community Enrichment
1800 Sherman Avenue Suite 5-200, Evanston, IL 60201
Event is free and open to the Northwestern community.
Register here.