Seldom, if ever, has such a diverse and truly ecumenical gathering convened under the aegis of politics in our nation.
Indeed, by our nature, we affirm that something new is taking place on the American political horizon.
We have come here from the dusty plantations of the deep south and the depressing ghettos of the north.
We have come from the great universities and the flourishing suburbs.
We have come from Appalachian poverty and from conscience-stricken wealth.
We have come here because we shared a common concern for the moral health of our nation.
We have read the handwriting on the wall.
We have seen our nation weighed in the balance of history and found wanting.
We have come because we see this as a dark hour in the affairs of men.
The deep rumblings that we hear today, the rumbling of discontent, is the thunder of
disinherited masses rising from dungeons of oppression to the bright hills of freedom.
All over the world, like a fever, freedom is spreading in the widest liberation movement
in history. The great masses of people are determined to end the exploitation of their
races and lands. And in one majestic chorus, they are singing in the words of our freedom
song, ain't gonna let nobody turn us around. And so the collision course is set. The people
cry for freedom. And we say to our nation tonight, we say to our government, we will
not be harassed. We will not make a butchery of our conscience. We will not be intimidated
and we will be heard.
And with that, everybody, I'd like to invite all of you to be seated right now so we can
begin our program. An official good morning, Chicago. I know we have some folks who are
walking in. Come on in, grab a seat. I know it's a snowy morning, but we are going to
go ahead and get started. An official welcome, welcome, welcome to our 40th annual interfaith
breakfast here in Chicago bringing all of us together on this snowy morning to
honor and celebrate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. I'm going to give I know a round of applause how about that I am going to
give a little hush to the room just so that we get ready for all of the
speakers, if you will join me. Thank you so much. We have a magnificent morning planned for you,
so I do want to go ahead and get started. First of all, I want to say how incredibly thrilled
and excited that I am here on stage serving as your emcee this morning. Thank you to the mayor
for inviting me and joining this spectacular celebration.
I know I have a lot of ABC7 viewers in the crowd.
Thank you.
We love you right back for making us the number one news station in Chicago.
But for a few of you who don't watch me on a regular basis,
let me do a quick introduction of myself as our guests continue to get seated.
I am Judy Hsu.
I am a news anchor with ABC7.
Been with the station for a little bit now.
Thank you.
In fact, you guys, this year, 2026, I am celebrating 25 years with ABC7, bringing you the news every day.
And we can't do it without you.
It is pretty incredible for me to think about that because it all started with a little girl who immigrated to Chicago with my family.
We landed right in Chicago's Chinatown.
I was 11 years old, and I remember coming home from school, by the way, coming home from attending Chicago Public Schools and watching ABC 7 and dreaming and hoping of doing this one day.
So it does feel like a full circle moment for me when I have the privilege of anchoring Eyewitness News at 4 and 6 right now.
On the home front, I have four kids.
For my longtime viewers, you might recall when I was anchoring the morning show with
Jose Sanders, that I was that anchor who had a baby on the Eisenhower Expressway.
That was me.
I get asked frequently for an update on Baby Ike, as we affectionately call him.
Well, Baby Ike is now 16.
That was 16 years ago.
Um, and you know what happens when you're 16?
He is in the process of getting his driver's license.
And here's the best part, you guys.
He will take his driving test at DMV in the car that he was born in.
You think I've been waiting for that moment since he was born and causing me all that pain on the expressway?
I love sharing that story.
Him, not so much.
Okay, you're updated on my life.
Right now, I'm going to go get started with our task at hand.
And right now, we would like to begin the program by thanking all of the elected officials joining us today.
And, of course, you guys, you know who our keynote speaker is, right?
Our 49th president of the United States, Kamala Harris.
Yes!
I cannot wait. I cannot wait.
We would also like to give a very special thanks to Mayor Brandon Johnson.
I know he is here somewhere.
Thank you for hosting us.
And, of course, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
for bringing us together today to honor the legacy of Dr. King.
Every year we celebrate his vision of solidarity and his belief
that all faiths, all faiths contribute to building our community.
How about a round of applause for your neighbors, for your table,
for the mayor, for bringing us here together.
And right now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Reverend Donovan Price to the stage
who will lead our invocation.
I know you're comfortable, but could you please bow your heads for a moment, and could you
please stand?
Let us pray.
Oh God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.
We come this morning standing on holy ground,
standing in the city of broad shoulders,
standing in the shadow of skyscrapers,
but reaching for the light of heaven.
Father, Chicago needs you.
If ever we needed you before, we sure do need you now.
We come crying out like Hannah in the midnight hour.
We come petitioning like Moses before the sea.
We come believing like Esther walking in the throne room,
for we know you are able, able to heal, able to restore.
Lord, look upon our mayor, Brandon Johnson.
Hold him up when the load gets heavy.
Steady his feet when the wind blows strong.
Give him wisdom like Solomon, courage like Joshua, vision like prophets of oil.
Let every council decision, every late-night discussion, every plan and policy be wrapped and surrounded, saturated in your will, not ours.
Cover every legislator, every policymaker, every hand on the wheel of the city.
Let righteousness be their compass.
Let truth be their language.
Let justice be their heartbeat.
And, Father, we must pause.
Yes, we must pause for the children.
Oh, God, our children.
God, you said, suffer the little children to come unto me, and we bring them to you today.
All of them, black, brown, immigrant, native, rich, poor, everyone.
Build angels around them like a wall of fire.
Place light around them that darkness cannot enter.
Let them grow. Let them thrive. Let them live.
We pray for those seeking refuge in the city, migrants, asylum seekers, families who came with nothing but courage.
Teach us to welcome them as you have welcomed us.
For we were strangers to grace until you opened the door.
Let Chicago not just be a city, but be a sanctuary.
And now, oh God, we come to the song that carried us when laws failed us.
When nights were long, when justice was slow, but faith refused to die.
I'm crying out to you right now.
North side, we shall overcome.
South side, we shall overcome
East side, west side, we shall overcome
Violence, you shall not have the last word
Fear, you shall not have the last word
Death, you shall not have the last word
Because deep, deep in our hearts
Oh Lord, I do believe
God is not finished
Chicago is not finished
In the mighty name of Jesus
We shall overcome
Amen
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated, ladies and gentlemen.
And right now, once again, please join me as we welcome back Chicago Youth United, presented by Pastor Ray Beatty and Queenie in singing Lift Every Voice and Sing.
If you would pause a moment and sing along with us.
Be with the pastor.
Good morning. Good morning, everyone. If you could please be seated. Thank you all so much for being here today. Everyone could please take your seat. Good morning. I am Kenya Merritt, Deputy Mayor and Acting Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
I want to thank each and every one of you for joining us as we come together to honor
the life and the legacy and the dream of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It's
an honor to recognize the work of a man whose voice and whose vision are a beacon of purpose
and service. So this morning, our breakfast would not be possible without the generous
support of our partners. I'd like to take a moment to recognize them. Our donors, Bally's
Chicago Casino, Ferreira Candy Company, ComEd and Exelon Company, Gifts of Hope, Globetrotters
Engineering Corporation, McDonald's, Northern Trust, People's Gas, SSP America, United Airlines,
U.S. Bank, Walmart, and to our sponsors, Eastlake Management, Harbor Construction, Kate's Detective
M.T. Transit, the incomparable Mother Wade, Republic Waste, Right Way Huggins Construction.
So this morning, as we celebrate Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, the intertwined
role Chicago played in his efforts for a more equitable, humane, and free nation cannot be forgotten.
Today, we celebrate the progress we've made and look ahead to the work we still have to do.
Dr. King dreams of equality for all, something that we recognize continues to be a challenge every day.
But through continued action, strong community, and a shared vision, we will realize his dreams.
Thank you all so much for being here today.
I had to run back on stage.
Thank you, Commissioner.
Thank you.
Thank you to our Commissioner.
And right now, please join me in welcoming to the stage another beautiful selection,
just off to my right, from Chicago Youth United.
Take it away.
Good morning.
Morning.
Good morning.
in honor of another legend who went on to be with the lord this is in honor of the one and only
can everybody please have a seat i was instructed to tell you that
can everyone please have your seats thank you so much thank you so much in honor of another legend
we sing this song in honor of richard smallwood we lift our hands in total praise you know the
song will you wave your hand and say
Introducing all three of them, we have Rabbi Lizzie Heidemann from Mishkan, Chicago here,
Reverend Jason Leiden from the Second Unitarian Church of Chicago with us,
and Imam Cameron Savir with Maki Mashted.
Please welcome all of them.
Thank you so much, Judy.
Wow, friends, what an inspiring morning already.
Thank you, Mayor Johnson and your whole hardworking staff
for convening this beautiful and powerful and uplifting gathering
My name is Rabbi Lizzie Heidemann. I'm from Mishkan, Chicago, a community on the north side, a Jewish community.
It was exactly 63 years ago, this very day, in this city, at the Edgewater Hotel,
that a very similar gathering took place of over 700 clergy people, Protestants, Catholics, Jews,
called the Conference on Race and Religion.
And it was there that this white-haired rabbi born in Warsaw, who had lost his entire family in the death camps in Europe, got up and he gave a speech that got the attention of a young black pastor half his age, born in Atlanta, who was already leading the civil rights movement.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his thick European accent, much like my own grandparents, began his remarks this way.
He said, at the first conference of religion and race, the participants were Pharaoh and Moses.
The outcome of that summit meeting has still not come to an end.
Pharaoh is still not ready to capitulate.
The exodus began, but it is far from having been completed.
In fact, it was easier for the children of Israel to cross the Red Sea than for a Negro to cross certain university campuses.
He said, back in 1963.
And Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King heard these words and he knew that he had found a brother.
They did not have the same history.
They did not share opinions on everything,
but they shared a vision for an equal justice and dignity under the laws of this country for all God's children.
And they marched together.
I can only imagine if Heschel and King were to have a reunion today.
Heschel might say it was easier for the children of Israel to cross the Red Sea
than for a family in Little Village to walk their kid to school safely.
He might say it was easier for the children of Israel to cross the Red Sea
than for women in half the states in America to get reproductive care and an abortion if they need one.
Or for a trans kid to get the health care they need to feel healthy in their mind and body.
Or for an asylum seeker to seek refuge in this country without being treated like a criminal.
or for a voter in too many parts of this country to believe that their voice will be heard and not suppressed.
It was easier for the children of Israel to cross the Red Sea
than for a public servant or a doctor or a scientist to speak freely
without fear of political intimidation or interference
or for a poor family to count on food and housing and health care
and not have it pulled out from underneath them in the richest country in the world.
So we know Pharaoh didn't go anywhere, but you know that, but you also know that neither did Moses.
And just like Pharaoh isn't a person, but a system, a system that hardens its heart, creating safety for some at the expense of others,
so too Moses is a system, a coalition of faith communities
who do not need to agree on everything or share the same history
in order to march forward together in this promised land of Chicago.
Moses is not just King and Heschel looking back 63 years.
Moses is people in this room that I have stood with and marched with
and sang with and protested with and organized with, supporting and defending the people
of our city.
I want to thank our mayor and our governor for modeling courage over capitulation.
Can we all just say, let us have courage over capitulation.
Courage over capitulation.
I want to offer gratitude to those who have walked before us, but I want to pray that
we walk in their light and i want to pray that we walk in their footsteps and that we join hands
across our differences and i don't know who you're sitting next to at your table but i want to invite
you to join hands with them to look at the person next to you and to say i need you and to turn to
the other way may the god of our ancestors and all of those who have walked before us
Walk with us and help us be the army of compassion and courage that we need to take on Pharaoh and to take care of one another because we need each other as we march through this wilderness toward a better place, united in the belief that we can and must live up to the promise of liberty and justice for all in this country. In this we pray. Thank you.
Beloved friends, if you would be so generous and join me in the spirit of prayer, I would
appreciate it.
Let us, wherever it is that we are in this space, begin by breathing together.
Feel your belly rise and fall.
Maybe feel your back against your chair.
Here, feet on the floor, imagine roots reaching down to the earth, connecting you to everyone
here and to all that exists.
Allow the spirit of gratitude to wash over you, feeling grateful for the breath in our
lungs, the beauty of this earth, and the strength of our community gathered here this morning.
May we also be thankful for those who came before us, our ancestors, both chosen and of blood.
who made a way out of no way, those who lived lives of examples, visionaries like Dr. King,
Fred Hampton, Marsha P. Johnson, Fannie Lou Hamer, and so, so, so many others. These
spirits burn brightly within us this morning. Loving divine God of many names, spirit that
moves in and around us, we gather not only with profound gratitude, but also with deep
lament. We lament the generations of white supremacy that have shaped this nation. Genocide,
slavery, police departments, and immigration enforcement. We know that the devastation
of our streets today is not new. It is the current manifestation of harm that has been going on for
hundreds of years. We lament the fear that so many are living in during this moment, so many fearing
the long reaches of the arms of ICE, those fearing the heartbreaking violence caused by guns,
those scared of losing their health care
and transgender people who are fighting
for the very right to exist
infinite love
we do not only cry, we proclaim
we commit and we act
may we have the strength to
always speak truth to power
may we have the determination
to resist racist attacks in all its forms.
May we act in solidarity with all people experiencing oppression,
knowing that we will be free.
We will be free when all are free.
And that we will exist together in the love and justice that we need
and the flourishing of life when we create that which we deserve.
And so as we each pray in our own way, connecting to the ultimate truth, most right for us, may we pray in the name of all that is holy and just and loving, and may the people say, Amen.
In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful, I would like to begin with a beautiful quote of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in where he said,
من لم يشكر الناس لم يشكر الله
That individual who has not been thankful to the people
Has not truly shown gratitude to God
Meaning, in order for us as humans to be truly thankful to God Almighty
We have to be thankful to His creation
So I would like to begin by thanking the organizers of this event
I would like to thank the mayor, all the volunteers
And those who made such an event possible
We are honored to be able to be here for a small prayer
And today I would just like to recite two verses from the Holy Quran.
These verses speak, I think, on a topic that is extremely relevant to the legacy of Dr. King.
And that is on the topic of justice and establishing justice.
If we visit Harvard Law University today, you will find in one of their buildings a display of quotations.
Quotations on justice from many different cultures, religions and traditions
And there, this verse of the Holy Qur'an which I am going to recite before you is also posted
As one of the greatest expressions in human history on justice
Again, reminiscing upon the legacy of Dr. King
I would like to begin, I will quickly recite these two verses and translate them for us all
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Surah Al-Fatihah
In the first verse here, God Almighty says,
O you those who believe, stand out firmly for justice as witnesses unto Allah,
even if it be against yourselves, or against your parents, or against your kin.
Whether one is rich or poor, God is more worthy of both.
So do not follow desire lest you swerve.
And if you distort or decline to do justice,
then indeed God is ever well acquainted with what you do.
In the second verse of the Holy Qur'an here,
God mentions,
O you who believe,
stand out firmly for Allah
as witnesses to fair dealings and justice,
even if it be against yourselves
or against your own enemies,
lest you sway from the path of justice.
We ask the Almighty
to make us all people of justice
and of those who establish justice,
reviving the legacy of Dr. King.
Amen.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, how about another big round of applause for all of our unity, faith leaders this morning. Thank you so much. And now please join me in welcoming our musical guest here this morning. All right. A minor change right now. We are going to get ready for our stellar musical guest.
Please take a moment, enjoy your conversation, your table mates.
Have a little breakfast, and we will be right back.
had a wonderful break. Hopefully you enjoyed your breakfast. I know our Madam Vice President
is in the house. So again, I would like to ask all of you to please be seated as we continue.
Our program, and I'm going to introduce right now, on stage, our fabulous musical guest for this morning.
Please welcome stellar award-winning singer and songwriter, Lena Bird-Miles. Welcome.
I was born in a little tent, oh, just like the river I've been running.
Ever since
It's been a long time coming
But I know change gonna come
Oh yes it will
It's been two years
And I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know he's just gonna call people down there telling me
I go to my brother
I say, hey, brother, brother, help me please
Brother, he just winds up knocking me down
He keeps knocking me down all this long
I think that I'm able.
Change is going to come.
This next song says, Jesus brought the sunshine into my life.
Changed my day.
Changed my way.
Changed the way I think.
I talk and act.
And I'm thankful that I have God's sunshine to keep me going.
If you know it, you can sing it with me.
If you're not eating your breakfast, you can clap your hands, all the things.
The sunshine.
I see you clapping.
can we give god some praise this morning those of us who have the freedom to do so you got eating
you can sing with me the song says you made you made my you made my day lord you came you came
my way you heard me every time that's what you did you heard you gave me
pretty face. Please have your seats. Please have your seats. Ladies and gentlemen, please
have your seats. Thank you so much. Thank you. Please have your seats. Echo that sentiment
right now. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats as we are getting ready to welcome
our very special speakers to come on stage.
Again, at this moment, we would like to encourage all of you,
perhaps the biggest moment you've been waiting for,
so please take your seat at this moment.
But before we get to our keynote speaker,
please welcome to the stage right now
our Representative Emmanuel Chris Welch,
Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives to the stage, everybody.
Thank you, Judy. Good morning, Chicago.
Before I introduce our keynote speaker, I've been asked if everyone can please take a seat.
The House will come to order.
Alderman Robinson, the House will come to order.
Before I introduce our keynote speaker, I'd just like to ask everyone to take their seats.
You don't want to miss what's about to occur.
And before I introduce our keynote speaker, allow me just a moment to brag on my brother from the West Side who brought us together today.
Can we give it up for Mayor Brandon Johnson?
Mayor Johnson is on the field.
He's on the field for us.
He's playing his heart out.
He's playing his heart out for us.
If you've ever heard me speak, you know I'm big on the infinite game, and Mayor Johnson is playing the infinite game.
Mayor Johnson has channeled the spirit of Chicago, and just like the Chicago Bears, he is not backing down.
He's fighting to protect Chicago from authoritarian overreach, because we all see what's going on.
And we also see he's fighting for us.
We see Mayor Johnson's commitment to progressive reform, even in the face of Donald Trump and Washington's failure.
We see his dedication to safety through his commitment to CBI and youth employment.
I wake up every day saying, thank God we live in Illinois, and thank God we have a mayor like Brandon Johnson fighting for us.
But I'm also thankful every day for Vice President Kamala Harris, aren't you all?
She warned us, y'all. She warned us.
Vice President Kamala Harris saw what was coming.
She told us Donald Trump's masked agents were going to be marching down our streets.
She told us he would unilaterally slash funds for our most vulnerable.
She told us. She told us about the authoritarian agenda of Project 2025, now extending into 2026.
So let me tell you something. People like Mayor Johnson and Vice President Kamala Harris,
I'm going to tell you, I want them on my side. Don't you want them on your side?
I'm proud to stand with the leaders in this room who are fighting every day.
Today, the mayor of Chicago is on the front lines and the first woman to hold the office
of Vice President of the United States, who still knows that winners do the work in the
fight for democracy.
Let me hear you say, winners do the work.
And they fight for us.
Let me tell you something, Kamala Harris is still fighting for us.
She is traveling the country, fighting for us.
And ladies and gentlemen, she's here in Chicago today fighting for us.
So please join me in welcoming the 49th Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.
I said to the Speaker, you are faster than I thought you'd be.
Please have a seat, everyone.
Speaker Welch, thank you for that beautiful introduction and for your leadership and hard work.
Good morning, everyone.
Oh, it's good to see so many people.
On this 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I join you here in Chicago not
only to mark the moment, but to say thank you.
to everyone here for carrying his legacy forward.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, thank you for having me
and this wonderful invitation to be with you
and your beautiful wife, the First Lady.
Thank you.
Thank you to Pam Morris, who helped start this breakfast,
and the leaders who have sustained this gathering
for 40 years.
Thank you all.
And, of course, I cannot be in Chicago
without recognizing Chicago's native son, President Obama.
To Governor Pritzker and to all the elected officials,
faith leaders, community leaders, advocates, activists,
to all the people of this great city,
I thank you for what you do for our country.
Thank you.
So, of course, as we celebrate history,
we all know that generations before us
paved the path for us to be here today,
including, of course, a dear friend to all of us
and a civil rights pioneer, the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
And Reverend Jackson, we are praying for you.
I'm going to see you later today.
But we are all so thankful in understanding the broad shoulders
that he created upon which so many of us stand.
We are deeply honored to recognize Mrs. Jacqueline Jackson,
whose life of faith, strength, and service reminds us
that movements are often sustained by the entire family
who do the work with courage and with grace.
Let us stand, please, and applaud Reverend Jackson and his family.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., loved America.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. loved America.
He loved our country, and his love was not passive.
His love was not patient, and it was unconditional.
Dr. King loved our country so much that he dedicated his life,
And in the end, it was taken in a fight for America's highest ideal, the ideal of freedom.
Dr. King believed that to love your country is to fight for your country.
And the spirit and meaning of Dr. King's work and words helped fuel, over all these years, our enduring belief in America's promise.
I got in late last night. I got into Chicago late last night from Memphis.
And while I was there, I spent time at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel.
standing there one cannot help but feel the weight of the stakes of what dr king confronted
government sanctioned segregation and redlining the vote of the people denied by literacy tests
and poll taxes. Churches bombed and people lynched. A child beaten beyond recognition
and laying in a casket. Hear what we understand about that moment. Hate and fear were being
weaponized by the powerful to terrorize those they saw as powerless. But here's the other
truth about that time. The people were sick and tired of being sick and tired. And so
at lunch counters and on buses.
In classrooms and in the streets, Dr. King and the leaders of that moment reminded the people of their power, reminded them that it doesn't have to be this way, that the power of protest, of organizing, of the collective can change the course of our history and its country, our country and its history.
And Chicago, isn't that true today? Isn't that true today? I will tell you, standing on the balcony at the Lorraine Motel yesterday, I thought about what Dr. King would see if he looked at America now.
And what would he think? And what would he say? And I do believe he would see that people
today are sick and tired of being sick and tired. When the President is rigging congressional
maps to cheat, when he called a court and crafted it, crafted a court to gut the Voting
Rights Act to silence our voice when he incites distrust in our election infrastructure so
that people won't vote? Well, folks are sick and tired of being sick and tired. When the
federal government rips people out of their car, out of their home, out of their church,
When families are separated and a mother of three is shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis,
people are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
When our differences are treated as danger.
When neighbors see one another as the enemy.
And when social media and misinformation take hold of our lives and the lives of our children, well, people are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
When rising costs and stagnant wages force working families to choose between rent or medicine, between child care or groceries, between dignity or survival, people are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
And when the President of the United States calls the civil rights movement, quote, reverse discrimination, we are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Now, I know many people in our country are feeling overwhelmed right now.
Isolation and loneliness have led to despair.
A long, broken system has fueled cynicism and, yes, apathy.
And people are rightly angry and profoundly frustrated.
Far too many have resigned themselves that, well, I guess it's just going to be this way.
All while those in power attempt to divide the American people, attempt to make us distrust each other, to turn on each other, all while having us believe we are powerless in this moment.
But let's pause for a minute to see the echoes of history.
Yes, the threats we face, but also the power of the people.
Let us see. Let us see.
Like then, this is a moment.
Not to throw up our hands, but a moment to roll up our sleeves, to organize, to register people to vote, and to speak and act with truth, power, and conviction.
And I look around this room, I know the people of Chicago, well, you uniquely understand that the fight requires courage.
It requires stamina, and it requires commitment.
It requires us to show up even when we are sick and tired, because we are sick and tired.
So to the leaders here I say, let us continue to be clear-eyed.
They may want us to be afraid, to be divided, to be silent, but we won't give them that
satisfaction.
We will continue the fight with determination, with resilience, and, dare I say, with joy.
So in the spirit of Chicago, it is time to bear down.
Thank you all very much. Thank you very much.
Wow, another big round of applause for the 49th Vice President of the United States.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Yes, bear down.
Um, what an incredible morning.
Let's just kind of soak that in for a minute. I know. I know you need to, too.
Right now, I would like to invite Bishop Edwin M. Walker of Friendly Temple Church of God in Christ to the stage.
Please welcome.
Good morning. Good morning, Chicago.
I am honored to stand before you and to acknowledge the distinguished protocol observed in this room.
it's with great pleasure that I've been chosen to introduce Mayor Brandon Johnson,
a leader whose journey and accomplishments are truly remarkable.
When I first met Mayor Johnson, he was not widely known.
I had the privilege of engaging him privately,
which allowed me to hear his thoughts and intentional plans for our city.
He impressed me with his articulate, informed, and well-prepared approach to the challenges ahead.
His subtle, charisma-inspired hope for a better Chicago.
As Mayor Johnson rose to the position of mayor, I recalled a valuable lesson.
Never let anyone shape your opinion of another person.
Instead, observe their words and actions to understand their character.
Through careful observation, I witnessed Mayor Johnson's steadfast leadership
during the most significant health crisis of our modern era.
He guided our city through these trying times with a steady hand and an unwavering resolve.
I observed Mayor Johnson as he championed the paid leave ordinance, ensuring workers' rights and fair treatment.
I observed him as he eliminated the sub-minimum wage.
Through the One Fair Wage Initiative, I observed Mayor Johnson as he expanded opportunities for youth via the One Summer Chicago, hiring over 30,000 young people across our city.
I observed Mayor Johnson as he addressed housing instability by funding new developments and programs such as the Neighborhood Access Program.
Mayor Johnson demonstrated resilience when faced with unexpected challenges, such as migrants being sent to Chicago by another state's governor.
I don't want to call his name.
They bussed them in.
They trained them in.
They planed them in.
He worked tirelessly to find housing for these that were in need.
When the highest office of our nation said, help us arrest the people we shipped to you.
We already had them in custody, but we gave them to you.
Now help us arrest them.
Mayor Johnson reminded them that this is a sanctuary city.
He embodied the quote of Dr. Martin Luther King, that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
When he refused, they had the nerve, I'm off script, to summons our mayor, call for our mayor to Capitol Hill.
to testify and answer questions, and despite federal pressures, including the involvement of ICE agents,
the National Guard, the threats to withhold federal funds, he remains committed to serving Chicago.
During times of scrutiny, such as when he was used to call, there was a call for an investigation into his hiring practices because of an interview with one of our great pastors, Mayor Johnson's competence and the strength of his executive team became evident.
They said, let's investigate his hiring practices.
Well, I'm in agreement with that.
Let's investigate what it takes to bring down the murder homicide rate 60-year low because of his hiring practices.
Because of his hiring practices, homicides have decreased by 29%.
Because of his hiring practices, shootings are down 35%.
Because of his hiring practices, robberies are down 36%.
Because of his hiring practices, carjackings are down 48%.
I feel like preaching.
And when it came time to pass the city's budget, Mayor Johnson chose a path of cooperation
and responsibility, prioritizing the needs of the working class, rather than resorting
to disruptive tactics like some to shut down the whole government.
I could go on and on, but ladies and gentlemen, citizens of this great city, Chicago, it is my privilege to welcome a leader whose honor and dedication have made a profound difference.
Get up on your feet, put your hands together, and let us receive his honor, the Honorable Mayor, Brandon Johnson. Come on!
Wow. What's up, Chicago? Doesn't it feel good to live in the greatest freaking city in the world?
Thank you all so much.
Thank you.
Please be seated.
I'm so glad there wasn't a Hammond organ in this place.
You can't take the Church of God of Christ anywhere.
Thank you, Bishop Walker, for that sermonette.
I ain't never been introduced to a whole scripture.
Really grateful that you all are joining us today.
How about it? To the First Lady of the greatest city in the world, Stacey. I love you, baby. Thank you.
It is really a blessing to be with leaders from every sector of our city, the faith community, business, labor, and all the elected leaders coming together to honor the legacy of one of the most important leaders in our world's history.
But let me just make something real clear, you all, because, you know, folks have real short memories.
And since the Speaker of the House got us started, the Vice President of this country, Vice President Harris, went all over this country.
And you're right, Speaker, she tried to warn us, y'all.
She said the President was going to undermine the rule of law.
She said that he would cause a constitutional crisis.
She said that his tariffs would drive up the cost of living or working families.
And she said that he would deploy the military in American cities.
Well, listen, because she's such a classy woman and incredibly humble and probably too good to actually say it herself, that she told us.
Let me just tell you, she tried to tell us, and that was not easy.
It's difficult to have to lift up the consciousness of this country that is weighted down by fear and hatred and racism.
Now, let me just close on this point about our vice president.
Whatever she decides to do, whatever she says, in the words of a great organizer, you better listen.
Where you at, Gator? You better listen.
We thank her. We thank you, Madam Vice President, for everything that you have done to protect our democracy and to protect the American people.
When I think about the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I think about the theme of this year's breakfast, protecting our democracy.
I always go back to King's final book before his assassination.
The final contribution.
Where do we go from here?
Chaos, community.
That rings true today, 60 years later.
Chaos or community.
This is the choice that is in front of all of us today. This is the contrast that we see every night on the news. It's the contrast that we are experiencing. Chaos, apartment buildings raided in the middle of the night in South Shore, doors blown off their hinges, Black Hawk helicopters circling overhead, children screaming and elders terrified, families being ripped apart.
In the South Shore neighborhood, they put immigrants in one van and black Chicagoans in another.
That's what we saw in Chicago.
That's what we've experienced just a few months ago.
We saw tear gas deployed at an elementary school.
We saw ICE agents cause a car accident in West Garfield Park and then proceeded to put the driver in a chokehold.
We saw a rapid responder, Miramar Martinez, shot five times. Only but by the grace of God, she survived.
And tragically, we saw a father, Mr. Villegas Gonzalez, killed right outside of Chicago just after dropping his children off at school.
This is chaos, you all.
A young woman was shot in cold blood in broad daylight in Minneapolis.
Protesters are being shot with pepper balls and tear gas.
And at the same time, we've had to use every legal means at our disposal.
going all the way to the Supreme Court to stop the occupation of Chicago by the Texas National Guard troops.
Let me make something absolutely clear.
As long as I am in this seat, we will not accept the occupation of our city by any military,
and we will use any means necessary to defend the rights of the people of this great city.
We're seeing all over the city and all over the country as lines are getting longer outside of food pantries.
Parents are leaving work after a full shift to get in line for food banks because food assistance has been cut.
Child care programs have been frozen based on this conspiracy of being pushed by the far right influencers.
This is chaos for the working families of Chicago and across this country.
And then we saw the administration cut $2 million in mental health funding only to reverse themselves the next day in indiscriminate bombings on the continent of Africa and in the Middle East.
The leader of a foreign country kidnapped in the middle of the night to enrich oil executives with no legal basis and no plan to prevent widespread instability in South America.
All of these actions fear chaos and sow division in our communities.
They want us to abandon our humanity and turn against one another as Americans.
They want to divide us.
They want to continue to expand their power.
As Dr. Keene warned us, power without love is reckless and abusive.
And love without power is sentimental and anemic.
Aren't you glad, though, you all, that we are living the truth of our humanity
where power and love and of a sound mind is a God-given gift?
And that's why we will never be terrified.
We don't live with a spirit of fear.
So we need to hone that power to protect our city.
But we need that power to be guided by love, love for our neighbor,
Love for the poor, love for those in need, love for those who are returning from incarceration, love for those who are hungry, love for those who are sick.
That is the community approach.
And what I see when I visit our 77 neighborhoods, I see us coming together, whether it's protecting our neighbors from ice or feeding families in need.
That's love in action.
That is the community we must fight to maintain right now.
And that's who we are as a people.
See, community has always been a part of us.
You know, our former state's attorney, Kim Foxx, is here.
Kim, I remember a time, because community is how we survive,
where you could go to your neighbor's house and borrow a cup of sugar.
See, there's a few folks that act like they don't remember where they came from.
Let me just talk to Cabrini Green for a second.
The west side.
Where we would go to our neighbor's house for a loaf of bread.
Sometimes we had to borrow electricity from our neighbors.
Somebody know what I'm talking about.
That's what that long orange extension cord was for.
That's community.
That's the community that raised me.
And if we really liked you, we sometimes would borrow each other's cable.
Is Comcast a supporter of this breakfast?
I'm so sorry, Comcast.
We don't do that anymore.
that was way back in the day
but it is the community approach partnering with
Neighborhood organizations, partnering with youth organizations, partnering with the community violence intervention groups and community leaders that made 2025 the safest year in the city of Chicago in 60 years.
See, it is community investment and community development that are fundamentally transforming neighborhoods that have suffered from chronic disinvestment in poverty.
It was the faith community that stepped up when SNAP was cut off, partnering with food pantries to make sure that our people didn't go hungry, even in the most trying times.
Thank you, Bishop Gunn. Thank you, Bishop Gunn, for your work.
Thank you, Charlie Dates. Thank you, Chris Harris. Thank you, Reverend Turner.
Thank you, Michael Eadie. Did I get all the denominations?
Thank you, Bishop Horace Smith.
It was many of the faith leaders here today who were part of the work.
And it was the work because we know that faith without work is dead.
And aren't you glad that the spirit of Chicago is well alive?
But it was also the labor partners across the city.
It was regular working class Chicagoans who organized town halls and trainings and marches to send a message to the White House
that Chicago will not be occupied and Chicago will never be for sale.
But here's the thing, sisters and brothers. We do not have time to wait. We cannot wait until the next election. Our communities have already waited for far too long. Tomorrow has finally arrived. It is today. We are living in the fierce urgency of now.
It is going to take all of us, every single one of us in this room and all of those who know in their hearts that the course we are on is not right and it must change.
And we have to change it.
It will take all of us to come together.
That's the faith community, the civic leaders, the social movements and the labor movement coming together around a progressive agenda.
Transformation, where we are today, the city of Chicago is fighting for a future that works for all of us.
And this is what we must fight for across the country because we know that the true solution to the problems of poverty and disinvestment can only be achieved through unprecedented federal government investment.
We just saw the President of the United States of America shift the largest upward transfer of wealth into the hands of the few that we have ever seen in the history of this country.
It was Justice Brandeis that said that you can either have a democracy or you can have extreme wealth concentrated in the hands of the few, but you cannot have both.
And if we're going to save this democracy and if we're going to protect our humanity, we must tax the rich and ensure that progressive revenue becomes the rule of the day.
And we must do it in Chicago, Cook County, the state of Illinois.
These big corporations have to finally pay their fair share.
You know, thank you, Mayor Karen Freeman Wilson is here.
There's a report out.
The median network of a black family in Chicago.
Median income is zero dollars.
Black unemployment has significantly increased under this president to levels not seen in more than a decade.
Hundreds of thousands of black women bore the brunt of Trump's gutting of the federal government and assault on public accommodations.
The far right practices a politics of cruelty.
And like our Vice President Harris said, we know in Chicago that there's a better way.
The forces of hate and division cannot solve the problems we face today.
They cannot solve the issue of poverty or hunger in Chicago any more than they can solve them in Appalachia.
As Keene put it quite clearly, white supremacy can feed their egos, but not their stomachs.
We need to continue the hard work of building a multicultural intergenerational movement across this country
to fight back against the three evils of poverty, militarism, and racism.
It's not easy during times like this, but as the great American actor Denzel Washington said,
ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.
See, we're built for this moment, you all.
Everyone in this room, we are called for such a time as this.
In Chicago, you all, we don't back down.
We don't flinch.
We don't bend.
We don't break.
What starts as a spark of the city of broad shoulders can spread across this country like a wildfire,
bringing in new politics rooted in community and in our responsibility one to another.
We know our assignment. Our collective work starts today.
So I thank you all for coming out today.
Thank you for celebrating the incredible leader of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I thank the Vice President for showing up, showing out, and showing us the way.
And I want to thank every single Chicagoan for being here today.
You all, we are building a new formation that will outlive us today.
We can't just simply rely upon the words of Dr. Keene.
What are our words and actions for this time?
Will we remain firm in our values and our conviction?
Or will we continue to play politics to divide us while some people in this city are looking at an election in 2027?
I'm looking today to make sure that people can put food on their table, that children can go to well-funded schools,
that health care workers can get a decent wage, that we can build affordable housing,
that young people can see their future, that women can be seen and valued,
that we can return ourselves to a place that only our ancestors can dream of,
where black, brown, white, Asian, young, old, can all come together to live out the hopes and dreams
and the aspirations of our people.
Let's stand firm. Let's stand tall.
Let's do it in the greatest freaking city of all, the city of Chicago.
God bless you all. Thank you.
Now, we are going to award those who have been carrying on this fight for a long time.
These folks are true to this, not new to this.
The City of Chicago's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast honors Dr. King's
legacy by recognizing local leaders with the Champion of Freedom Award.
celebrating individuals who embody his fight for justice and freedom.
Reverend David Black is the senior pastor of Chicago's First Presbyterian Church of Chicago.
He finds his purpose in ministry where faith and community intersect.
Black was sprayed for ICE agents and detainees in Broadview when he was met with violence.
ICE agents sprayed Black in the face with chemical irritants.
Pastor Black testified at two congregational hearings about the excessive violence of ICE
agents and the meaning of the gospel, pointing out that he might be the center of the spectacle
right now.
His heart is for those who are unaccounted for through abduction and deportation.
Please welcome the 2026 Champion of Freedom Award, Pastor David Black.
Civil rights activist and philanthropist, Ms. Jacqueline L. Jackson is president of the Jackson Foundation and co-founder of Operation Push and the Rainbow Push Coalition.
Born March 17, 1944, in Fort Pierce, Florida, she was raised by a single mother who instilled
in her dignity, self-determination.
and a commitment to justice.
While a student at Civil Rights Student Activist at North Carolina A&T State University,
she worked alongside fellow student, the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr., whom she married in 1962.
Together they raised five children and are the proud grandparents of ten.
Reverend as Reverend Jackson's immovable rock, Ms. Jackson served as a trusted advisor,
chief speaking surrogate, and co-chair of his historic presidential campaigns,
advancing international missions on his behalf.
Since 1988, the Jackson Foundation has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants.
In recognition of her lifetime of a service, she received an honorary doctorate from North Carolina A&T State University.
Ms. Jackson says, because I am first God's child, I have a responsibility to protect the least of these and stand for what is just.
Please welcome the 2026 Champion of Freedom awardee, Mrs. Jacqueline L. Jackson.
Thank you.
I am Jacqueline Jackson, and it is an honor for me to stand here this evening, this morning,
especially in the presence of such great people.
I thank the Vice President of these United States for honoring us with her presence and her spirit.
I heard every word you said, and I believe you.
To all of the distinguished persons here, they told me, my husband told me before I left, to stick with the script.
And I didn't bring one, so I don't have to worry about obeying him.
And to all of the distinguished officials, people who are in the same business that I'm in, and that's public service, I thank you for your service.
to my mayor, I don't have the words to say this evening to explain and express my love
and appreciation for a young man who is a part of the future of this country, who came
and said he wanted the most difficult job in the world.
Chicago is a tough town
and in order to live in a tough town
we have to have some tough people
and Chicago is my kind of town
I love Frank Sinatra for singing it
it's my kind of town
and a tough town needs some tough people
and you ask for it
And Chicago has the finest people in the world.
I want to thank all of you for your kindness to me and my family who has been so supportive of me and my husband.
I especially want to thank some women who I must mention as I accept this award.
They are gone, and it's on their shoulders that I stand.
And I promised myself that I will never receive any honor without recognizing the people who have given me the principles, the commitment, the sense of pride, and an insult level.
and taught me how to fight.
I want to thank, as I accepted this award,
first my mother.
My mother who had me as a teenage...
young lady, with her future ahead, I am eternally grateful to Ms. Gertrude Davis-Brown, who
at 17 gave me a chance at life, a decision she did not have to make. And she taught me
to be principled, purposeful, and proud.
And I want to share that with you today.
I want to thank Ms. Helen Anglin.
I want to thank Ms. Oralee Saunders,
who came every day to the organization
and created a group called the Visionettes.
She was an ex-teacher and for free.
She stayed there with our children.
Ms. Neal, Ms. McGee, babysitters and housekeepers, Ms. Katie Pinkett, Vernon Eczema, a librarian,
Lucille Lohman, who found our building for us and stayed as Reverend Jesse's secretary.
I'm going to mention one man, and that's Reverend Evans, my pastor.
I love him.
Ms. Esther Thompson, who was the best security one could find, and she was five feet tall, Dr. Margaret Burroughs, Reverend Addie Wyatt, Dori Zala, who created for us our first auxiliary, women's auxiliary, Ms. Passmore, who told me something that I want to give to the mayor today, and it was a special gift from her.
I said, I have too many things in my house.
I have so much clutter.
I don't need another thing.
She said, this is something not to put in your house, but to put in your mind.
To my mayor, I give you this gift, and to all those of you in the sound of my voice,
let no one have power over you but God.
Let no one, you maintain the character that you came here with.
and don't forget where you came from.
Thank you so much.
I want to also tell you something, a little political advice,
and I'm going to be 80 years old because I am a part of the past.
I remember when I was a part of the future.
And I boast now because you need both of us.
To the man, every hello is not glad to see you, every closed eye is not asleep, and every goodbye is not gone.
So remember those words.
I want to say to you as I take my seat, I want to say to you, you become that good person you're looking for.
Don't look any further.
You become that good person.
There are three men in my life that I have to celebrate today,
for this is a day that only God could make.
You have nothing to fear but fear itself.
The first man was Jesus.
His father sent him to show us and help us to recognize sin
and to be in service and to serve.
And the golden rule, treat everybody like you want to be treated.
Never forget the golden rule.
To the second man, Dr. Martin Luther King, for which is why we are here today,
please take the time to read the letter from the Birmingham jail.
Please take the time with your children and a cup of tea.
to listen to him and the march on Washington.
It has been sanitized.
We went to Washington to bring to America, to return to America,
a promissory note that had been written to the locked out
and the disenfranchised people of these United States
that was banked and only to find that it had been returned to people
with the statement of insufficient funds.
Without Dr. King, who is, and I'm going to say this,
and I'm going to have to run after I say it,
the most prophetic voice of our century.
No one like him.
Sit with your children.
Listen to the speech for which he gave his life, and that was beyond Vietnam and into war.
In non-violent conflict resolutions, non-violent conflict negotiations and resolutions should be taught in every school all over the world.
I want to say to those of you who remember what I said, don't fear.
God made this day and time for you.
You are the future, just as my husband, Reverend, and I have been a part of the future, and now we belong to the ages.
Thank you so very much. May God bless you.
Wow. Another big round of applause for our awardees here this morning.
Thank you to our mayor, of course. Thank you to our awardees.
Madam Vice President, of course. Thank you. Our awardees were the virtuous example of Dr. King's philosophies within our community.
So this is the end of my portion with all of you. It's been wonderful being with you.
I will see you this afternoon on ABC7, but right now as we conclude our program,
we would like to ask each and every one of you to stand for the benediction led by Bishop Ron Wood,
And please remain standing as we all sing, We Shall Overcome, led by the Chicago Youth United.
It's been wonderful being with you this morning.
Now to the herbition.
My best friend.
As we prepare to depart, we remain reminded of the ancient yet urgent charge found in Micah 6 and 8
to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.
May this not be a verse we quote, but a mandate we embody.
May justice shape our policies, mercy guide our decisions,
humility govern our leadership.
And as we reflect on the life of Dr. King,
King, may we remember that the measure of our greatness is not found in our authority,
but in our accountability to the people we serve.
May the God we know grant us the courage to confront inequity, the compassion to heal
divided communities, and the humility to place the common good above personal gain.
As we return to our various spheres of influence, government, faith, education, business, and community, may we commit ourselves anew to the unfinished work of justice, guided by conscience, strengthened by hope, and anchored in love.
go forth in power go forth in peace go forth with purpose go forth with
integrity because down in my heart I do believe we shall overcome someday in a
sign of solidarity and unity if we can have some of the faith leaders come and
meet me around this stage come on Uncle Turner Pastor Turner Bishop Ron Woods
is coming around come on some of the faith leaders come and meet me around this stage
elder edie come on janet come on somebody pam morris
kimberly ray come on meet me around this stage
some of our artists gospel artists come on this queen he leads us
join us
that's as we sing
we shall
Would you come and help us? Come on!
Do you believe?
Hug somebody and let them know you love them.
Thank you. God bless.