Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Presents “When the West Side Burned: A WTTW Chicago Stories Documentary, Community Conversation, and Concert”

When the West Side Burned: A WTTW Chicago Stories
Documentary, Community Conversation, and Concert 

Saturday, February 7, 2026, 4-9 PM 
Kehrein Center for the Arts 
5628 W. Washington Blvd. 
Chicago, IL 60644 

The tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968 triggered unrest across the country, but in Chicago, the rage and grief that erupted in the city’s Black communities led to an unprecedented period of public mourning, looting, and destruction on the city’s West Side. Examining King’s close ties to Chicago and the hope he brought to residents, how his murder brought long-simmering resentment over segregation and discrimination to a boiling point, and how this still-recovering neighborhood continues to move forward. 

  This moving forward is a story of resilience and reclamation

4:00 PM: Screening of When the West Side Burned — A WTTW Chicago Stories Documentary (56 minutes) 

6:00 PM: Community Conversation – Moderated by WTTW senior producer and documentarian Dan Andries, this panel discussion will highlight the voices of West Side leaders, some of whom were featured in the documentary. They will share memories of Dr. King and their visions for the future. 

7:00 PM: Concert – This concert will feature Orbert Davis’s original compositions from ”When the West Side Burned.” Additionally, music from the 1960s, capturing the spirit of both the turbulence and the hope of that time, will be included in the concert. 

Please Call for Group Seating Reservations 

 Admission: $2 per person for all three Saturday events 

For more information and tickets, please visit www.ChiJazzPhil.org