The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast is an annual event that pays tribute to the enduring legacy of one of the most iconic figures in American history. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a visionary civil rights leader who dedicated his life to advocating for justice, equality, and nonviolent social change. This inspiring breakfast brings together people from all walks of life to celebrate his memory, reflect on his powerful message, and recommit to the principles of unity and equality that he championed.
This annual event stands as a beacon of hope and a call to action, encouraging individuals to carry forward the torch of justice and equality in their own lives and communities. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast serves as a powerful reminder that the struggle for civil rights and social justice is ongoing and that, together, we can continue to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice, just as Dr. King did in his lifetime.
36th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast
Democracy is a core tenant upon which the United States was founded. And despite a founding document that declares that all men are created equal, the reality in our nation – from its founding to present day – is that inequality is rampant and shows up in every institution and system we encounter.
The annual Crispus Attucks Community Center MLK Breakfast is a time for the community to come together, to foster relationships, to dialogue around the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to confront issues of inequity and injustice. This event, the Center’s largest fundraiser, annually raises $100,000 in critical funds for the Center, nearly 1/3 of the its yearly budget.
On Monday, Jan. 15, to celebrate the 36th annual MLK Breakfast, we will welcome Bakari Sellers to Lancaster for “Activating the Promise of Democracy.” The breakfast will be held on Ville Courts at the Student Memorial Center at Millersville University.
7-8 a.m. Registration, Coffee & Networking
8-10 a.m. Program & Breakfast
About the Theme
Activating the Promise of Democracy speaks to Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, in which he declared “Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy.” In a country that often cites democracy as its most important founding principle, and with 2024 being a presidential election year, engagement of all people in community, civics, and voting can make a true difference both for today and for generations to come. This event will ignite a full year of conversations to ensure Lancaster Countians work together to activate the promise of democracy that Dr. King championed.
TICKET SALES HAVE ENDED FOR THIS EVENT.
Keynote Speaker – Bakari Sellers
Two-time NY Times best-selling Author, Civil Rights Activist, Attorney, Entrepreneur, Legislator, and overall Prolific voice of the Culture, Bakari Sellers continues to build upon the strong legacy he inherited as the son of Gwendolyn Sellers and civil rights leader Cleveland Sellers. While his dad helped shape movements working alongside Stokely Carmichael, Bayard Rustin, and Malcolm X, Bakari has come into his own helping to write the blueprint for today’s movements with the likes of Rep. James Clyburn, Attorney Benjamin Crump, and President Barack Obama.
Bakari forged his own path from very early on. He entered Morehouse College at the age of 16. He went on to become a graduate of the University of South Carolina Law School and he became the youngest legislator in the South Carolina state legislature at 22. He carries this mantle of success with the right balance of gravitas, style, generosity, and humility-a nod to his humble beginnings in Denmark, SC where “please and thank you” are the chief currency in town. In penning both his memoir My Vanishing Country and a children’s book entitled “Who Are Your People?,” Bakari pays homage to the working-class values that encouraged him to “dream with his eyes wide open” and that are the predicate for his persistent fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the US and abroad.
A CNN analyst, Bakari also brings an ability to elevate discourse such that people always feel one step closer to a solution or resolution after he speaks. He combines these and many other talents in his new podcast, The Bakari Sellers Podcast which airs two times a week on the Ringer Podcast Network. Sellers has also been an attorney with the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. in Columbia, South Carolina since 2007, where he heads up the firm’s Strategic Communication and Public Affairs team and the DEI Consulting practice.
He is married to Dr. Ellen Rucker-Sellers and they are the proud parents of three children.
Champion Sponsors
Millersville University
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Legacy Sponsors
Franklin & Marshall College
Highmark | Penn State Health
Marotta/Main Architects
PNC
School District of Lancaster
Shumaker PDT
TAIT
UPMC Health Plan/UPMC Central Pa. Region
Wellspan Health
Justice Sponsors
Arconic
Armstrong World Industries
Banzhof’s/ Capp’s
Barley Snyder
Capital Blue Cross
Cargas
City Limits Foundation
Electron Energy Corporation
Elizabethtown College
Grudi Associates
Jaxxon Promotions Inc.
Lancaster City Alliance
Lancaster Theological Seminary | Moravian University
Laura Schanz Consulting Associates, LLC
McKonly & Asbury LLP
McNees Wallace & Nurick
M&T Bank
Patients R Waiting
TriStarr
WLCH Radio Centro
Walz Group
Woodstream Foundation
Work Wisdom
Advocate Sponsors
Alice Yoder, County Commissioner
Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home
Commons Company
Community First Fund
Danene Sorace, Mayor
Donegal Insurance Group
EG Stoltzfus
EHD
GIANT
Gibbel Kraybill & Hess LLP
Groff Funeral and Cremation Services
Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square
Murray | Glatfelter Insurance
North Group Consultants
RLPS Architects
Rainmakers Association Lodge
Rodgers & Associates
TCW – GAV, Inc.
Truist
Univest Financial