The McKinley Presbyterian Church and Foundation are pleased to announce scholarship opportunities for the 2019-2020 academic school year. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $2,000. Apply today!
Posts By McKinley Foundation
Movies at McKinley: Jesus Camp
The McKinley Foundation will screen the documentary Jesus Camp on Friday, May 3, at 7 PM in the McKinley Foundation Living Room.
Synopsis: Jesus Camp, a 2006 documentary directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, follows Levi, Rachel and Tory to Pastor Becky Fisher’s “Kids on Fire” summer camp in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, where kids as young as 6 years old are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in “God’s army.” The film follows these children at camp as they hone their “prophetic gifts” and are schooled in how to “take back America for Christ.” The film was a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America’s political future.
Featured Guest: Nathan R. Todd, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois, will facilitate a pre- and post-screening discussion. Dr. Todd’s research focuses on how religion and Whiteness shape individual and group engagement with social justice.
Admission: Movie is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Free parking is available at the parking garage across the street.
This film is part of a year-long series exploring freedom in the 21st century, inspired by American artist Norman Rockwell’s paintings of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms (1941)—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Gardeners Needed!
The McKinley Giving Garden is a partnership among many—The McKinley Foundation, McKinley Presbyterian Church, Presby Hall, Faith in Place, and the UI Extension. The list keeps growing, and so does our garden!
We are growing produce for clients of the McKinley Pantry at Garden Hills as well as others in the community who have limited access to fresh produce.
How does this garden grow? With lots of love and labor from our friends and neighbors, and of course the wonders of nature. Now through the end of October, we will meet in the garden on Monday evenings beginning at 6PM. We work until the work is done or until the sun goes down… whichever comes first. We would love your help.
No gardening experience is necessary, just a willingness to work outside for a couple hours. Each week we will have a volunteer captain on hand who will provide instruction for each task that’s needed that day. This is a great way to grow your own gardening skills while supporting a great cause.
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Boneyard 2019: Call for Artists
Artist’s Alley, a secure gallery at the McKinley Foundation, 809 S. 5th on the UI campus, welcomes visual artists to display their work during the Boneyard Arts Festival this April.
The art should be a contemporary piece that relates to the gallery’s current social justice theme.
“Engage 4 Freedom” is a year-long rotating exhibit featuring works inspired by American artist Norman Rockwell’s paintings of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms (1941)—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. This exhibit is inspired by our partnership with the For Freedoms Federation which uses art to encourage and deepen public explorations of freedom in the 21st century and to inject the anti-partisan, critical thinking that fine art requires into the political landscape through programming, exhibitions, and public artworks.
Applications must be submitted by March 15 and are available here on our website. Artwork must be ready to hang and delivered on March 28 or 29. For more information, contact Paula Hancock at 217-344-0297 or paula@mckinley-foundation.org.
Movies at McKinley: A Raisin in the Sun
The McKinley Foundation will screen A Raisin in the Sun on Friday, March 8, at 7 PM in the McKinley Foundation Living Room. There will be a post screening discussion featuring guest speaker Desiree Y. McMillion, PhD, Instructor in the UIUC Department of African American Studies.
This lauded drama follows the Youngers, an African-American family living together in an apartment in Chicago. Following the death of their patriarch, they try to determine what to do with the substantial insurance payment they’ll soon receive. Opinions on what to do with the money vary. Walter Lee (Sidney Poitier) wants to make a business investment, while his mother, Lena (Claudia McNeil), is intent on buying a house for them all to live in―two differing views of the American Dream.
This 1961 drama film directed by Daniel Petrie was adapted from the 1959 play of the same name by Lorraine Hansberry. It was groundbreaking when first released, and a wealth of future plays, films, and TV productions have taken their lead from this socially conscious drama.
Featured Guest
Desiree Y. McMillion, PhD, Instructor in the UIUC Department of African American Studies, will facilitate a pre- and post- screening discussion of the film. Dr. McMillion’s research and teaching interests include the nature and relationship of historic and contemporary experiences of African Americans in academia, the workplace, film, the community, and home environment.
Admission
Movie is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Free parking is available at the parking garage across the street.
This film is part of a year-long series exploring freedom in the 21st century, inspired by American artist Norman Rockwell’s paintings of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms (1941)—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Get Your Tickets to the 10th Annual Social Justice Awards Gala
You’re invited to attend the 10th Annual Social Justice Awards Gala on Saturday, March 30. Join us as we celebrate local heroes in the cause of social justice who make a difference in our community, country and world.
We will kick off the evening’s festivities with a reception at 5:30 PM in the McKinley Foundation’s Living Room. While enjoying drinks, hors d’oeuvres and live music, get to know the award winners and runners up by visiting their displays. You may also bid on myriad dining and entertainment options during the silent auction and raffle.
At 6:45 PM dinner and the program will begin in Westminster Hall. We are especially pleased to have Dr. Rebecca L. Sandefur, who won a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship in 2018 for her work in civil justice, serving as keynote speaker.