The 21st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast is set to take place on Monday, Jan. 15, at Foster Hall in Ariel Arena on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU). The event will be jointly hosted by the local community, MVNU, and Kenyon College under the theme, "Out of a Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope."
According to an MVNU press release, MVNU President Carson Castleman stated, "This annual event is important to our community as it allows us to join together in a time of reverence and respect with a call to action that Dr. King’s life and legacy hold significance and value to spur us on and inspire us with his words to drive out the darkness with the light of love."
The breakfast will commence at 9 a.m., and is free and open to the public as per the same press release.
Bishop Edward Cook has been announced as the keynote speaker for this event. Cook serves as state bishop of Ohio North First Jurisdiction for the Church of God in Christ. His notable achievements include receiving the NAACP President’s Award in 1998 for his leadership in Toledo, Ohio. He also held positions as president and board chairman of Covenant Youth Development Corp., an after-school program designed to assist at-risk boys aged between 10 and 14 along with their families. Furthermore, he was instrumental in establishing both Covenant Pastors of Toledo and Covenant Community Development Corp., a local Christian Community Development Corporation.
Other speakers listed for this event include Castleman himself, Kenyon President Julie Kornfeld, Mount Vernon Mayor Matthew Starr, and Gambier Mayor Leeman Kessler.
Kornfeld expressed her views on this occasion saying: "As we continue to confront issues of increasing complexity in the world, it’s more important than ever for us to come together to remember and reflect on Dr. King’s legacy. Each time we do so — engaging in meaningful, critical dialogue and seeking understanding from diverse perspectives — we honor his work and also commit to our own in realizing his vision."
The event is being sponsored by The MLK Legacy Committee, Kenyon College, and MVNU. For registration, interested parties can reach out via email at intercultural.life@mvnu.edu.
