A Chicago judge will speak on affirmative action and its relationship to the ideology of the Rev. Martin L. King, Jr., while a legendary Chicagoan and fixture in the music field will pay tribute to Mahalia Jackson and share music that she and her family made the soundtrack of the movement – all at DePaul University’s Annual King Prayer Breakfast, Jan. 16, from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. in the Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Bernetta D. Bush will revisit the legacy of King and other civil rights heroes in a speech titled, “Affirmative Action: The Dichotomy.” Bush, who has served on the circuit court of Cook County since 1992, holds a juris doctorate degree from DePaul’s College of Law.

R&B, gospel and inspiration singer Mavis Staples, of the famed Staples Singers, will pay homage to gospel great Mahalia Jackson and offer a medley of her own songs that highlight her role in the struggle for social justice, led by King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The Staples siblings, guided by their father, the late Roebuck “Pops” Staples, began singing gospel together in 1950 when Mavis was in elementary school. They began touring in 1957 after she graduated from high school. Her distinctive voice, and Pop Staples’ songs and guitar playing, helped the group become one of the most influential spiritually based groups in America. Inspired by the senior Staples’ friendship with King, the Staples Singers became the musical voices of the civil rights movement – articulating the messages of the movement through powerful song.

By the 1970s, The Staple Singers would become pop stars – hitting the Top 40 music charts eight times in four years. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. As a single artist, Staples has influenced and recorded with Prince and Bob Dylan, among many others. Her latest CD, “Have a Little Faith,” was released last year and is her first in more than 10 years.

During the breakfast program, DePaul’s Cultural Center, sponsor of the event, will present Timuel Black with the Barbara Sizemore Award. Black is a historian, author and well-known community activist in Chicago. The award – named for the pioneering educator and former dean of the university’s School of Education – is bestowed annually on a community leader, educator or human rights activist who has exhibited excellence in his or her field.

DePaul’s King Day Prayer Breakfast is free and open to the public. R.S.V.P. by Jan. 9 by calling 773/352-7759 or by email: CulturalCenter@depaul.edu .