On February 4, 1968, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a sermon called the “Drum Major Instinct.” “Everybody can be great,” he said, “because everybody can serve.” As we continued to look back at his life and legacy on this Martin Luther King Day, The 21st was joined by the 22-year-old Trustee serving on the Peoria Park District Board.

On Today's 21st:  We’re honoring the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. We have excerpts from a little-known speech he gave here in Illinois, we also hear from a sociologist and children’s book author about a different kind of book for kids that doesn’t shy away from complex themes. And, some descendants of Black civil rights leaders in Chicago want the public to know more about their family members, while also protecting them at the same time.  

Alissia Young is due to receive the Doris Hoskins Prestigious Community Service Award later this month as part of Champaign County’s celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Constance Edwards of Frankfort, Illinois served as an officer in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War from 1966 until 1967.  The United States Army recruited her while she was a student at Tuskegee University in Alabama, where she was born and lived until joining the Army.

On the 21st: We talk about what it looks like to carry on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy, with a pastor in Champaign who was involved in the civil rights movement in Illinois during the 1950s and 1960s. We also speak with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to learn about the connection between Dr. King and President Abraham Lincoln.