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!
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
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
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.
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!
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
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