The 36th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast will go on as planned on Jan. 19 in Minneapolis, in the midst of protests in the city against the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on civil rights.
The event, which will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, is one of the nation’s largest annual breakfast celebrations honoring Dr. King’s legacy and is presented by General Mills in support of the Twin Cities chapter of UNCF, which raises funds to help young men and women attain higher education.
The theme of the event, “Make a Career of Humanity,” echoes Dr. King’s call for lifelong service and commitment to justice and equality. The theme was inspired by civil rights icon’s message, “Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”
This year’s breakfast comes in the middle of the Trump administration’s heavy-handed immigration enforcement campaign in Minneapolis, which critics of President Donald Trump say threatens to reverse the gains made by Dr. King’s sacrifice. Early this month, the Department of Homeland Security sent about 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Minneapolis to crackdown on immigrants, mostly members of the Somali community, who the president says should be deported because they are “garbage.” Protests against the operations have intensified since Jan. 7, when ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot a woman three times at close range, killing her. The woman, identified as 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, was a U.S. citizen.
This year’s event will feature two keynote speakers: Soledad O’Brien, and Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, author and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories
Hrabowski is a consultant, lecturer and speaker on the topics of leadership, STEM education, workforce development and civic engagement. He is currently serving as President Emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), championing minority achievement in graduate studies.
Local music and culture will also be part of the morning, with performances by Billy Steele of Sounds of Blackness, honoring Black artist traditions.
Doors will open at 6:45 a.m., with breakfast and pre-event programming beginning at 7:30 a.m. The event will be broadcast live on WCCO AM at 8:30 a.m., and keynote presentations will also air on Minnesota Public Radio during the midday segment.
For event tickets and information, visit MLKBreakfast.com
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About Lizzy Nyoike - Mshale Contributing Reporter
Lizzy Nyoike is a Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication student.
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