Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With 41st Annual Community Breakfast
Assumption University hosted the 41st Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfast in partnership with Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) on Monday, honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King.
Each year, the MLK Breakfast Committee organizes inspirational musical selections, a keynote speaker, and various awards and scholarships given to members of the community.
The Master of Ceremonies for this year’s breakfast was Deborah Hall, Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Central Massachusetts. An invocation was given by Rabbi Valerie Cohen of Temple Emmanuel Sinai, and the attendees at the breakfast were greeted by a variety of prominent Worcester community figures, including Congressman James P. McGovern, State Senator Robyn Kennedy ’03, Mayor of Worcester Joseph M. Petty, QCC President Luis G. Pedraja, and Assumption President Greg Weiner.
“Dr. King’s legacy resonates deeply with our mission. He called multitudes to cultivate the common good not despite their differences, but because of them,” Weiner said in his remarks. “At Assumption, we honor that legacy by fostering a vision of civic friendship in which our differences are productive because they are rooted in a shared purpose: the pursuit of truth in the company of friends.
“Dr. King knew that truth cannot be pursued alone. Neither is the pursuit of justice a solitary activity. Both require the virtues Assumption students know are essential to education: the courage of prophets, the humility of learners, and the charity of neighbors,” Weiner continued.
Multiple awards, including scholarships for students pursuing post-secondary education, the Eleanor T. Hawley Community Service Award, and the Worcester Fire Department Lt. Herbert A. Wilson Achievement Award, were also presented. Since 1986, the MLK Community Breakfast has awarded over $200,000 in scholarships to students from Worcester and the surrounding areas.
The keynote speaker at this year’s event was Dr. Jennifer Davis Carey, former Executive Director of the Worcester Education Collaborative. She is an artist and a veteran educator, having worked in both the K-12 and higher education sectors. She served as Director of Minority Recruitment at both Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and then served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in multiple senior positions until taking her role as Executive Director in 2010.
The Worcester Area Mission Society and United Congregational Church encouraged attendees to bring books about Dr. King to the Breakfast so they could be donated to second- and third-grade students attending Worcester and Fitchburg public schools.
Other organizations, including the YMCA and Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC), were also in attendance, seeking volunteers for community service projects in Worcester County. The breakfast includes these opportunities to help keep the legacy of Dr. King alive throughout the year.