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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast

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The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast is an annual gathering that pays tribute to the enduring legacy of one of the most iconic figures in American history. Dr. King 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. Together, we can continue to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice, just as Dr. King did in his lifetime.

38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast

BENDING THE ARC: OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS JUSTICE

On Monday, January 19, 2026, to celebrate the 38th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast, we will welcome acclaimed author and philanthropist Frederick Joseph to share his thoughts on Dr. King’s enduring impact and the continued fight for equity and justice. As we gather to honor Dr. King’s legacy, we will take time to reflect on the progress still needed to achieve the ideals he preached.

This year’s theme is “Bending the Arc: Our Journey Towards Justice.” In a March 31, 1968, speech at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Dr. King remarked, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” But that arc does not bend on its own. It bends when people, communities, and generations step forward with courage and conviction. As our journey towards justice continues, it is shaped and sustained by the hands and hearts willing to lead the way.

The MLK Breakfast will feature vibrant performances, inspiring youth writing, and the presentation of the Essence of Humanity and Ruby Payne Cook awards, along with time for community connection and fellowship. We hope you’ll join us!

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38th Annual MLK Breakfast, featuring Frederick Joseph

Monday, January 19, 2026, registration begins at 8 a.m.

Ville Courts
Student Memorial Center at Millersville University
105 Shenks Lane, Millersville, PA 17551

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New Breakfast Schedule

We know everyone’s schedules are busy, especially on a Monday morning, so we are shifting our breakfast schedule to honor both connection and timeliness.

8 – 8:30 a.m. – Registration and Networking

8:30 a.m. – Welcome & Invocation, breakfast buffet opens

9 a.m. – Formal Program Begins, breakfast buffet closes

10:30 a.m. – Program Concludes

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MLK Breakfast and Crispus Attucks Community Center

In addition to being a time for the community to come together around the life and legacy of Dr. King, MLK Breakfast is also the largest fundraiser for Crispus Attucks Community Center, annually raising $100,000 in critical funds for the Center (nearly 1/3 of its yearly budget).

The Center is a cultural hub that creates equitable community by honoring African American history, elevating the Black experience, and caring for our neighbors. Through programs and events that promote community prosperity, we are carrying on a nearly century-old legacy of advocacy and resource offerings in southeast Lancaster City.

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Keynote Speaker – Frederick Joseph

Frederick Joseph is a Yonkers, NY raised three-time New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. His books include a poetry collection, We Alive, Beloved, two books of nonfiction, Patriarchy Blues, and The Black Friend, a collaboration, Better Than We Found It, a children’s book, The Courage to Dream, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and his recent bestselling, Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly Starred reviewed YA novel, This Thing of Ours.

Joseph’s books have been named an Amazon Editors’ Pick, notable by the International Literacy Association, Best Children’s Book of the Year by Bank Street College, a Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice selection, nominated for the In The Margins award, Booklist Editors’ Choice, a Notable Trade Book for Young People by the National Council for Social Studies, a Dogwood Title by the Missouri Associations of School Librarians, as well as longlisted for the Green Earth Book Award, and more. He has written for The Boston Globe, Essence, Huffington Post, AdWeek, and Cosmopolitan, and won both the Letter Review Poetry prize and a Letter Review Essay prize.

Joseph’s writing and philanthropic work go hand-in-hand, and he has been recognized for community investment by Forbes 30 Under 30, the Comic-Con Humanitarian of the Year award, The Root100 list of Most Influential African Americans, and was most recently honored with the 2023 Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award, as well as the 2024 Allyship Award at Lincoln Center’s Black Girl Magic Ball. He has been a featured speaker at the UN HeForShe Summit, and has worked with fortune 500 companies and presidential candidates on their DEI efforts. He lives with his wife Porsche and dog Stokely in New York City.

PARTNER WITH US!

Sponsorships are an important part of the success of the Annual MLK Breakfast, and we’d love for you to partner with us. Both individual and business sponsorships are accepted. Please click below to learn more!

Exclusive Speaker Sponsor

Visionary Sponsor

Dream Maker Sponsors

Champion Sponsors

City Limits Foundation

Lancaster Chamber

Legacy Sponsors

Aetna

Armstrong World Industries

Barley Snyder

Franklin & Marshall College

Highmark | Penn State Health

Marotta/Main Architects

Millersville University

Patients R Waiting

School District of Lancaster

Shumaker PDT

TAIT

Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology

Wellspan Health

Justice Sponsors

A Labour of Love Designs

Andy and Michelle Dula

Arconic

Cargas

Dr. Clark McSparren

Elizabethtown College

The Factory Ministries

Grudi Associates

Lancaster City Alliance

Laura Schanz Consulting Associates

McKonly & Asbury LLP

McNees Wallace & Nurick

RKL

TriStarr

United Way of Lancaster County

UPMC Central PA Region

WLCH Radio Centro

Advocate Sponsors

Anonymous CAP Board Member

Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home

Community Services Group

Donegal Insurance Group

EHD

Finanta

Gibbel Kraybill & Hess LLP

Grandview Church

Jaime Arroyo, Mayor of Lancaster

Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square

North Group Consultants

RLPS Architects

Rainmakers Association Lodge

Rodgers & Associates

Steve and Patti Deck

TCW – GAV, Inc.

UGI

Walz Group

Work Wisdom