This year’s Coming Together in Skokie celebration is proving itself different from the celebrations of years past. For the last five years, Skokie and Niles Township has focused on celebrating one culture – the Indian in 2010, the Filipino in 2011, the Assyrian in 2012, the Greek in 2013, and the Korean in 2014 – but this year, Coming Together will focus on all of the different cultures in our neighborhood in a comprehensive look called Voices of Race.

Voices of Race kicks off with an opening ceremony at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. From 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, the museum will feature poetry, song, and an original theater piece created by teens and adults in our community. Until 5:00 p.m., guests will have a chance to tour the Race: Are We So Different? exhibit.

The exhibit focuses on the hard-hitting questions of race: What is race from a scientific and cultural point of view? How has it affected our lives through the infrastructure of our institutions?

Through poetry, drama, and literature for all ages, Coming Together in Skokie aims to teach us to explore racial identity and deepen interracial dialogue about race. “By using shared definitions of race, we encourage neighbors to engage with each other and learn how racism affects us all,” the committee said.

From now until spring, there are more than 50 different programs scheduled at the libraries, community college, Skokie Village Hall, Niles Township High Schools, park districts, and local businesses. These events include a performance of Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till, book discussions and meet-and-greets with various authors, and a conversation with Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen in which Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White recalls working alongside the Reverend Martin Luther King and experiencing racism during his minor league baseball days. It all leads up to the final Stand Against Racism on April 24.

To RSVP to the opening ceremony at the Illinois Holocaust Museum, fill out the invitation here. For a complete list of events and activities at this year’s celebration, visit the official Coming Together in Skokie website here.

“We can change as a world by sharing our ethnic backgrounds with each other to come to appreciate the world and break down the barriers,” Van Dusen said. “We embrace by showing everyone respect and treating each other with a positive attitude.”