Former Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver the keynote address next week at Chicago’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Thursday.
“I want to thank Vice President Harris for coming to Chicago to honor the legacy of Dr. King in our city,” Johnson said in a statement. “The Vice President could be anywhere, and the fact that she chose to come to our city and lift up the work we are doing to defend our democracy means a lot to the people of Chicago.”
Johnson also praised the former VP as “a trailblazer and a staunch defender of the freedoms and rights of everyday Americans,” adding that Chicago is honored to host her for this year’s breakfast.
The MLK Interfaith Breakfast was founded more than 40 years ago by Harold Washington, the city’s first Black mayor, and honors community leaders for advancing Chicago and carrying forward Dr. King’s legacy.
This year’s theme is “Defending Our Democracy, Protecting Our Rights,” as the Trump administration faces backlash over stepped-up immigration enforcement in Chicago, Minneapolis, and nationwide.
Kamala Harris lost the 2024 election to President Trump after replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.
Meanwhile, Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff bought a 4,000-square-foot home built in 1979 featuring four bedrooms, a pool, a jacuzzi, a sauna, a guest house, and a private putting green on nearly three-quarters of an acre, with private beach access in a wildfire-resilient enclave favored by stars like Sean Penn and Julia Roberts.
Their move from Brentwood sparked conservative criticism of the timing, given Harris’s expensive 2024 campaign and coastal climate risks, though the couple’s combined career earnings reportedly cover the purchase.
Kamala Harris buys $8M mansion in Malibu’s celeb-packed Pt. Dume https://t.co/tfeSatcTIK pic.twitter.com/IjysNvCarB
— New York Post (@nypost) January 14, 2026
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