Gala Will Showcase Organization’s Work And Honor Dr. King

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BROWN FARMER MEDIA GROUP.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BROWN FARMER MEDIA GROUP.

Gala Will Showcase Organization’s Work And Honor Dr. King

By Tia Carol Jones

The Lawndale Christian Development Corporation is hosting its Reawakening North Lawndale Gala from 5:30p.m to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17th, at the Bridgeport Art Center, which is located at 1200 W. 35th St. The annual gala commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who lived in North Lawndale when he was working on the Poor People’s Campaign.

“We want to honor and commemorate the legacy and the work that he was doing while he was here and leaders like him put into the transformation of Black communities and Black lives in this country,” said Whittney Smith, Deputy Director and Counsel for Lawndale Christian Development Corporation.

The Lawndale Christian Development Corporation was established in 1987 by the Lawndale Christian Community Church. Since then, it has been working to create opportunities for home ownership by developing affordable housing, while also eliminating wealth and health disparities in the community.  

The gala on Jan. 17th is also an opportunity for the organization to tell its story. Lawndale Christian Development Corporation wants to use that time to share with supporters, partners and members of the community, as well as the city, the nature of the work the organization is doing and the impact it is having on North Lawndale residents and the community. Smith said the organization puts a lot of effort into ensuring that the event honors and is reverential to Dr. King, but also a celebration of continued life.

Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer, who passed away in June of this year, will be honored posthumously for his work. As the 9th District Commissioner, Deer worked on the West side and in North Lawndale, gave us himself and his time to ensure the community thrived.

“It’s that kind of legacy that we’re seeking to lift up with this event,” Smith said. “We want to make sure Commissioner Deer, and his legacy is honored, but also, the people who are continuing in that Dr. King leadership style.”

Illinois State Representative Yolanda Morris, who represents the 9th District, STEM Educator Betty Green and STEM Educator Menard Moore will also be honored during the gala. Smith said these individuals embody the legacy and continued work of Dr. King. She said it is important to have moments to celebrate and “have Black girl and Black boy joy.”

At the gala, the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation will be highlighting projects they have completed this year, as well as projects they have coming down the pipeline. Some of those projects include a trade school, which the organization partnered with Kennedy-King College on, 1600 South Lawndale, a business and art activation hub, as well as the Lazarus Apartments, a quality, 48-unit affordable housing development on 19th and Harding. A panel discussion about the future of development and North Lawndale also will take place.

Smith said that everyone is invited to attend the event. For more information about the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, visit www.lcdc.net. Tickets for the Reawakening North Lawndale Gala cost $175 per person. To purchase tickets, visit lcdc.networkforgood.com.


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