Students gather to build community at MLK Student Leadership Conference

On Saturday, Jan. 31, Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at UIC hosted its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Student Leadership Conference at Student Center East. Centered on the theme Restoring Hope, Reclaiming Justice, the conference was an opportunity for students, faculty and community members to gather and practice King's vision of justice and community with music, discussions, keynote speakers, hip-hop poetry and workshops.

The day was filled with storytelling, art and advocacy. There was a drumming workshop, crafting sessions, policy conversations and community training. At the center of it all was a question to consider: What does hope look like when we build it together?

By the end of the day, the answer felt tangible.

"Our hope is that you leave today feeling a stronger sense of community and recognizing the impact each of you can have in shaping a more just society," Yaminah El-Amin, graduate assistant for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, said while welcoming attendees. "Creating spaces like this for reflection, learning and action is part of our commitment to supporting student leadership and social responsibility."

The day opened with a keynote speech from Jacinda Bullie and Jaquanda Villegas, founders of Kuumba Lynx, a Chicago-based collective that blends hip-hop culture, healing practices and grassroots organizing.

They spoke about the emotional weight many students may be carrying.

"Think about what you bring to the table, your lived experience, your resources, and then get out of the school and make connections in the city," Bullie said.

"Sometimes we feel like we're alone, just trying to get through school," Villegas added. "But everybody's collective help and support can move a movement. Just show up as yourself and contribute what you can."

Rhythm, craft and collective care

At the drum circle and workshop, Victoria Boateng, founder of the Victoria Djembe Academy and an advocate for people with autism, invited students to find connection through rhythm. Diagnosed with autism at age 3, Boateng now uses drumming to create inclusive spaces where everyone feels valued.

"Drumming brings everybody together," Boateng said. "It restores energy and unity. We're in tough times right now, and drumming centers people. It soothes people. It disciplines people. It reminds us we're all one, no matter our differences."

Educators from the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum led a session on artifact exploration and radical crafting. After hearing about the museum's history as a place of social reform and creative labor, participants knit winter accessories for people who are experiencing homelessness.

Other sessions offered space for reflection and dialogue. Mia Garcia-Hills, director of Student Veteran Affairs at UIC, talked about using shared stories to address internalized barriers and build community. The University Library's Banned Book Club revisited King's July 10, 1966, speech at Soldier Field, where he condemned discrimination in housing and education.

Advocacy in action

The day's final sessions focused on tools for action. Among them was a training from Migra Watch led by Tanya Cabrera, assistant vice chancellor for student inclusion from the Rigo Padilla-Pérez Undocumented Student Resource Center. It equipped participants with strategies to safely monitor immigration enforcement activity and connect impacted peers with legal and crisis resources.

The conference concluded with the Urban Public Policy Fellowship Program's research gallery and student panel, where fellows shared projects tackling real-world policy issues and discussed how to apply justice-centered leadership beyond the classroom.

Though coordinated by Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, the conference was shaped by students. A student planning committee volunteered months of time and energy to design the experience - selecting speakers, organizing workshops and imagining how King's vision of restoring hope and reclaiming justice could come alive on campus.

Mariela Aranda, associate director of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, said the goal was simple but powerful.

"I hope that our students walked away from the conference with a sense of hope and their personal power to impact the world for the better," they said. "The Urban Public Policy Fellows panel gave student researchers the opportunity to share their advocacy and labor amongst a supportive community of peers, faculty and staff. I hope we can continue crafting these spaces on campus for students to share their values and visions loudly."

The conference was also made possible through collaboration with campus and community partners who provided presentations, resources and facilitation throughout the day, including the UIC Black Cultural Center, African American Academic Network, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Rigo Padilla-Pérez Undocumented Student Resource Center, Khaos Creative Collective, WeDesi, UIC Student Engagement, the UIC Library and the Urban Public Policy Fellowship Program.

To stay connected with student leadership and civic engagement opportunities, follow @UICSLCE on Instagram or visit Student Leadership and Civic Engagement webpage.

See more photos below from the conference.