Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in April 1968 ignited grief and unrest across the country, but in Chicago it led to an unprecedented period of mourning and destruction on the city’s West Side. Through film, music, and dialogue, join Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and WTTW to explore King’s deep ties to the city, the hope he inspired, how long-simmering injustice boiled over after his death, and how a still-recovering community continues to move forward.

The evening features a screening of WTTW’s Chicago Stories documentary, “When the West Side Burned,” examining the conditions that shaped the West Side then and now. The program also includes a concert by Chicago trumpeter and bandleader Orbert Davis, who composed the film’s score, and a community conversation moderated by WTTW senior producer Dan Andries.

Schedule

4:00 pm: Chicago Stories: When the West Side Burned screening

6:00 pm: Community conversation about the film moderated by Dan Andries

7:00 pm: Concert with original music by Orbert Davis from the documentary

Food and beverages will be available for purchase from local West Side vendors.