“Over the past few weeks, the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations (ICDHR) has sent to you alerts  and other information regarding the 54th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance Dinner held December 2, 2023.  Given the tremendous outpouring of interest on the part of dinner attendees and th larger community,  we wanted to share the results of the event with you.

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The event brought nearly 500 concerned residents, suburban mayors, legislators, educators and, business leaders  together at Cotillion Banquets in Palatine.  Among the attendees were Van Dukeman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Busey Bank Corporation. Our emcee, NBC 5 reporter Regina Waldroup, was absolutely superb in orchestrating an array of talent present at the event.  Following the Invocation, we were electrified by the soulful voices of the Soul Children of Chicago. 

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Our honoree and speaker, Dr. Timothy L. Killeen, President of the University of Illinois drew the praise of the audience when he addressed the theme of the remembrance, “Dr. King: Education, the Next Battleground”.

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Nicholas Tarleton who received the ICDHR’s most prestigious academic scholarship several years ago, traced his education progress from an early age. He expressed gratitude to the ICDHR for the scholarship that allow him to graduate from the University of Illinois and now serves as an executive with the McDonald’s Corporation.  Nicholas was among the large number of young men and women that received have received scholarships from the ICDHR.

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During the program, Amelia White, an executive with Southwest Airlines,  contributor of airline tickets, joined Rev. Brooks, the Commission’s chairman,  in presenting awards to a number of raffle winners.

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The 54th remembrance of Dr. King ended with stirring comments from Rev. Brooks.  He challenged the attendees to become more involved in their children’s education and more knowledgeable of what their children are learning and not learning in schools.  He warned the attendees of the current  movement to remove books on black history from American History, the growing censorship by right winged conservatives throughout the United States and the invasion of constitutional rights that focus on  the rights of women and other groups throughout the country.

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