By Sophie Saint-Firmin, News Editor
On the morning of Jan. 21, Asbury students and several faculty members, along with Dr. Sandra Gray, attended the annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast at the Lexington Convention Center. This year was the 25th anniversary of the Unity Breakfast, and the theme was Unity: The Promise of Hope.
Hosted by the Alpha Beta Lambda Fraternity, the event involved over 1,100 attendees. According to the official Alpha Beta Lambda website, “the breakfast supports the Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation’s many community outreach programs and allows the foundation to acknowledge individuals and organizations to promote unity within this community.”
The breakfast also featured an essay contest for students from the surrounding Lexington area schools. The winning entries were awarded cash prizes and an invitation to read the essay. “I thought the speakers did a great job of contextualizing MLK’s words for our time,” said Maria Brown, Intercultural Affairs Coordinator. “It was inspiring.”
The speakers’ topics ranged from unity and community involvement to Dr. King’s contributions to society. There were also musical performances, videos and interviews all pertaining to the theme of unity.
“Personally, it was a great time to gather together to remember the life and work of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Asbury senior Jordan Mayo. “At the breakfast, there was also a deeply inspiring call to action from one of the main speakers that resonated with me and others who were present there.”
After the meal, people lined up outside of the convention center to march through Lexington in the annual MLK March. Asbury students and faculty members marched among the masses with a banner promoting the institution and showing support for the cause.
“Overall,” Mayo said, “it was beautiful to see so many different people coming together to continue in the pursuit of the widespread change and equality that King fought and gave his life for.”
