During the last two weeks of February, REALTORS® can find a variety of virtual and in-person events that celebrate Black achievements during Black History Month.
If you’re looking for ideas, the Enjoy Illinois website includes activities from Zion to Champaign to Springfield, in addition to a virtual event in Geneseo.
In the Chicago area, you can patronize Black-owned restaurants, visit museums, attend events organized by the Chicago Park District in several city parks. Other events include:
Feb. 16 – 11:30 a.m., Dearborn REALTISTS® “State of Housing in Black America (SHIBA) – Illinois,” via Zoom, featuring U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson, State Sen. Elgie Sims of Chicago, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Board Commissioner Stanley Moore. Register in advance to watch virtually. Read the 2021 SHIBA report.
Feb. 16 & 21 – At noon on these days at the Field Museum in Chicago, learn about Black STEM scientists and theorists through virtual seminars.
Feb. 16 & 23 – The African American Cultural Center at the University of Illinois Chicago is offering a virtual film festival titled, “Remembering Sidney Poitier.” At 3 and 5 p.m., respectively, two of Poitier’s films will be screened and discussed. Titles include: “Raisin in the Sun,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “To Sir with Love.
Feb. 17 – 5 p.m., Chicago Association of REALTORS® “Commemorating Black History Month Celebration” featuring Illinois REALTORS® President Zeke Morris, at Park Supper Club, 65 E. Garfield Blvd., Chicago, IL 60637. Free for members, $30 for non-members.
Feb. 24 – 9 a.m., Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® live streams “Virtual “Coffee and Conversation: Impact of Redlining,” featuring Dr. Vanessa Perry, director of marketing, strategic management and public policy at the George Washington University School of Business, register in advance.
Southern Illinois University’s Student Multicultural Resource Center in Carbondale has a schedule of events that include guest speakers, open discussions, an Afrocentric Fashion Show and a Black History Scholar Bowl.
Western Illinois University in Macomb also has scheduled several events, including a Black Student Association Police Brutality Walk, a Black History Month Showcase and a writer’s workshop with Gwendolyn Brooks’ daughter, Nora Brooks Blakely.
At the University of Chicago, attractions include an exhibit by African American painter Bob Thompson will open at the Smart Museum of Art, an annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Celebration and the Harper Lecture series kicks off.