News

On Tuesday, January 20, the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School hosted the third annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Reading event at Swift Hall. The event included a continuous oration of Dr. King’s speeches beginning at 9 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m.

Individuals from the University and the Chicago community were free to drop in anytime over the course of the event to sit and listen to Dr. King’s words. Participants gathered in groups or came alone to hear both well-known quotes and to discover unfamiliar words from King’s impressive collection of speeches.

“The different voices gave you somewhat of an affirmation that things have changed because there is a diverse group reading today,” Michael Jennings, Administrative Specialist at UChicago Dining, and event participant, said. “But the reading also shared with us that we have a long way to go as a people.”

The event was inspired by Curtis Evans, Associate Professor of American Religions at the Divinity School and Faculty Co-Director of the Marty Center, who thinks there is value in hearing Dr. King’s speeches in their entirety, rather than the limited excerpts commonly shared online. Evans was the first to read on Tuesday morning. 

Since its first convening in 2024, the MLK Jr. Day Community Readings have become a staple in the University’s celebration of the American hero.

“From year one to three, we have grown a much larger community representation,” Dr. Emily Crews, Executive Director of the Marty Center, described. “Every year has involved people from around the university, and even folks we didn’t know before, but this year we probably have the greatest representation of community members.”

Individuals who volunteered to read aloud included members of the Harris School of Public Policy and the Crown Family School of Social Work, the Provost’s Office, UChicago Dining Commons, faculty from Northwestern University, and leaders from Christian parishes in the city. 

Community readers approached a podium in the Swift Hall Common room, where they found their space to read from a 190-page document. Articulating both Dr. King’s extensive vocabulary and embracing his familiar cadence brought his compelling words to life in new ways.  

“I was surprised at the way the reading was making me feel,” Jennings shared, “It almost placed me in that moment, just to imagine some of the things I was saying and the impact it was having on the audience at that time.”

The Community Reading event is a salient reminder of the impact of community collaboration in a shared space, for a shared purpose.