Prof. Jacqueline Stewart will deliver the keynote address at the University of Chicago’s 2026 MLK Commemoration Celebration on Jan. 28.
A renowned film scholar, Stewart is the former director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and the founder of the South Side Home Movie Project at UChicago. She is also chair of the National Film Preservation Board and the host of “Silent Sunday Nights” on Turner Classic Movies.
During her address, Stewart will incorporate film clips related to Dr. King’s legacy and the Civil Rights Movement—part of a creative new format for this year’s program, which will use visual media to explore the importance of preserving, contextualizing and understanding often-overlooked facets of social history.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel and is free and open to the public.
Stewart’s research and teaching explore African American film cultures and silent cinema, film spectatorship and exhibition, as well as the archiving and preservation of moving images, including amateur and independent film and video.
Stewart founded the South Side Home Movie Project, a community-centered archive housed at the University of Chicago’s Arts + Public Life. The Project, which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, holds over 1,200 reels of footage shot by South Side residents from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Stewart is the author of Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and Black Urban Modernity, which has achieved recognition from the Society for Cinema and Media Studies and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She is also co-curator of the L.A. Rebellion Preservation Project at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, which generated new restorations of landmark films by the “L.A. Rebellion” group of Black independent filmmakers.
Stewart is the recipient of numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship, the Silver Light Award from the Association of Moving Image Archivists, and the Distinguished Career Achievement Award from the Society for Cinema and Media Studies.
A rich tradition
The 36th annual MLK Commemoration Celebration continues a rich tradition of bringing together members of the campus and local communities to hear from an impressive roster of leaders and innovators, including Ruby Bridges, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and former President Barack Obama, who was then a senior lecturer at the UChicago Law School. In addition to serving as an important University ceremonial and spiritual center, Rockefeller Chapel was also the site of one of Dr. King’s first major speeches in Chicago.
This year's event also will include remarks from President Paul Alivisatos and performances by Uniting Voices Chicago.
“We are proud to announce Prof. Jacqueline Stewart, an esteemed scholar and beloved member of the University community, as this year’s featured speaker,” said Vice Provost Waldo E. Johnson, Jr. “Prof. Stewart's archival pursuits powerfully advance the legacy and expand the scope of Dr. King's vision for an inclusive society. She is a pioneering presence in engaging the visual arts as a vehicle for illuminating unsung artistic and cultural contributions to American society.”
Guests are encouraged to register for tickets. Learn more at UChicago’s MLK commemoration celebration website.
Other MLK events on campus, South Side:
Daylong reading of MLK’s texts: On Jan. 20, the Divinity School and the Martin Marty Center are inviting members of the UChicago community to participate in a daylong reading of some of Dr. King’s most significant and illuminating texts—from his well-known speeches to rarely cited essays. Guests are welcome to attend as a reader or listener, beginning at 9 a.m. Sign up here to participate as a reader.
Week of service: In honor of Dr. King, the University Community Service Center has curated a set of programs and service events designed to bring together the UChicago and local communities. Learn more and sign up at the UCSC website.