‘So much to be done’: Arlington Heights pastor, 90, reflects on decades of fighting for civil rights

After more than six decades of following in the footsteps of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and promoting his legacy, the Rev. Clyde Brooks doesn’t feel he has accomplished as much as he would have liked.

“I don’t think I’ll ever retire because there’s so much to be done … but I am tired,” the 90-year-old Arlington Heights pastor said of his activism, which he started right out of college, largely inspired by King.

As part of his service in the suburbs, Brooks established the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations. The organization hosts its 55th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Dinner Saturday at Cotillion Banquets in Palatine.

The gathering brings together hundreds of community leaders across geographic, religious, racial, cultural and gender boundaries to celebrate, reflect on and advance King’s legacy.

Yet, from the race riots of the 1960s to today’s divisive politics, Brooks sees a resurgence of hate, racist attitudes and policies reversing decades of hard-won progress in the 56 years since King’s assassination.

“I just think we’re going backwards,” Brooks said. “I don’t want to get political, but I can’t help it because it’s a thermometer in terms of where we are.”

The U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of race-conscious college admissions, blowback on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and the incoming Trump administration’s plan for mass deportations signal a retrenchment of moral values, according to Brooks.

“(King) would probably turn over in his grave with the retrenchment that has occurred,” Brooks said. “And so-called good people sit silently and say nothing because they don’t want to get involved in what they call politics.”

While most suburban MLK events are held in January or February to commemorate King’s birthday or Black History Month, the commission’s dinner has moved around the calendar largely due to the availability of venues and associated costs. It is one of the largest King events in the Northwest suburbs.

Organizing the dinner gets more challenging each year with interest waning, but Brooks hopes to elevate King’s mission through the event, which he views as a community service.

“We have different themes for each dinner … but the message doesn’t change,” he said. “Just keep on keeping on trying to do right, trying to be right, trying to live up to the Constitution, trying to live up to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The theme for Saturday’s dinner is communities coming together. Its goal is to emphasize education, health, diversity and other issues that were important to King and honor community and business leaders involved in carrying out his dream. Proceeds also support academic scholarships for deserving high school seniors.

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes and his wife, Susan, will be among the attendees again this year.

“These messages are important to us as an increasingly diverse community and are especially relevant now in this very turbulent time around the world,” Hayes said.

A reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the program at 7 p.m. at Cotillion Banquets, 1360 S. Creekside Drive, Palatine. Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will give the keynote address. There also will be a musical performance by the Larkin High School Concert Choir of Elgin.

To get tickets, visit https://www.icdhr.org/king-dinner-tickets.

Aside from the King dinner, Brooks’ commission has started hosting a series of workshops on critical thinking to help people be more objective and remove biases.

“That’s how I would like to spend the remainder of my life,” Brooks said. “I think we need to find more meaningful ways to elevate Dr. King and carry forward his legacy.”

Brooks says he doesn’t know what the future holds for the dinner, but he might be ready to pass on the baton to a younger generation.

“I’ve been saying this is my last dinner for 35 years,” Brooks said. “I don’t have the feeling of achievement. I would hope that I am remembered for just trying.”

The Rev. Clyde Brooks addresses the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Arlington Heights in 2000.
Daily Herald File Photo, 2000