The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson led a lifetime of crusades in the United States and abroad, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care.

Almost six decades later, urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas is making sure new generations know the details of Martin Luther King Jr.’s time in Chicago through his educational tours of the city’s neighborhoods.

While it is now a time-honored tradition, the establishment of the holiday had a prolonged, difficult path to acceptance.

In 1966, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. came to Chicago’s West Side to protest against discriminatory housing practices. The neighborhood went into an uproar following his assassination in 1968, resulting in numerous riots and looting. “When the West Side Burned” outlines the destruction and struggle to recover.

Decades later, warring interpretations of one of King’s most famous quotes have fueled a culture war over the merits of affirmative action and diversity and inclusion efforts.

Coretta Scott King discusses her husband's legacy during a 1978 interview on WTTW. 

While meeting with civil rights leaders at the White House, including family members of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the president cautioned against the growing trend in red states across the nation – including Florida – of restricting the teaching of Black history.

A host of Black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies rallied attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in U.S. history.

In the 55 years since his death, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is often quoted and revered, an icon. But in the new book “King: A Life,” author Jonathan Eig draws King as “a man, not a saint, not a symbol” — delivering far more nuance than history has allowed.

Annual tributes and commemorations of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which begin nationwide on Friday, typically include a mix of politics, faith and community service.

Over 50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. marched through the park and hundreds gathered to fight for fair housing. How the community has changed since then.

The nation’s oldest civil rights organization’s birthday next month comes as it undergoes a restructuring to reflect a membership and leadership that is trending younger, to people in their mid-30s. As a result, it is adding endeavors like producing TV streaming content for CBS.

Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincided with the first celebration of Muhammad Ali Day in Illinois on what would have been the champion boxer and civil rights activist's 80th birthday.

Steve Schapiro started out as a freelance photographer in the early 1960s and was on hand for many of the decade's historic moments, whether the 1963 March on Washington or Robert F. Kennedy's presidential run in 1968. The Chicago resident's work appeared in Time, Rolling Stone, Life and other publications.

“It’s time for every elected official in America to make it clear where they stand," President Joe Biden said. “It’s time for every American to stand up. Speak out, be heard. Where do you stand?”

The nation marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday. Dr. King led the Chicago freedom movement to fight for open and affordable housing. United Way of Metro Chicago will hold a Zoom webinar where local Tik-Tok star and urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas will share some facts about the movement.