Washington, DC, Jan. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of the commemoration of its 75 years of service, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) encourages local communities across the United States to celebrate the life and achievements of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., through a day of service, benefitting deserving students and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“As we wrap up our 75th year, we cannot help but recall the extraordinary days and historic moments of the civil rights movement and the hard-fought battle for equality,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, UNCF president and CEO. “As we celebrate this significant milestone in UNCF’s history along with the remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., UNCF and our HBCUs continue the fight. This holiday underscores our commitment to provide a quality education for the next generation of leaders, who ultimately will produce a better future for us all.”

Celebrations are scheduled for Anderson, SC, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, to recognize the contributions of Dr. King, a graduate of UNCF-member institution Morehouse College, by celebrating together and investing in the community through the acts of service.

Anderson, SC
Theme: Building the Beloved Community: The “Fierce Urgency of Now”

Join UNCF and the local community at 5 p.m., Monday, Jan. 20 at the Anderson County Civic Center with the honorable Terence Roberts, mayor, city of Anderson, SC; event keynote speaker, actress and singer Kathye J. Gray; and a host of community leaders for a day of giving back. Entertainment will be provided by the New Prospect Step Team, MLK Community Youth Choir and MLK Community Adult Choir. The emcee for the evening is the Lovely Big O, JAMZ Radio. The event is open and free to the public.

 Detroit

Theme: Lighting the Way to Better Futures

 Join the UNCF Michigan office and the Detroit Inter-Alumni Council at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 18 for the 28th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Celebration brunch. Taking place at the Bistro 555 Restaurant in the Greektown Casino Hotel, this year’s honorees include Mable Jones, Ph.D., Marjorie Walker and Dorothy Pugh. Bishop William Murphy, III, lead pastor of the dReam Center in Atlanta, GA, will serve as the keynote speaker.

 Minneapolis

Theme: RISE UP: Standing Together for Positive Change 

 The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., 82nd Attorney General of the United States and partner, Covington & Burling, LLP, will serve as keynote speaker at the 30th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday breakfast at 7 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20 at The Armory. Organized in partnership by General Mills and UNCF, the holiday breakfast began in 1991 when UNCF and General Mills joined together to host a community celebration to honor the legacy of Dr. King. Over 2,400 corporate, civic and community leaders including Minnesota elected officials, Gov. Tim Walz; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN); U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN); State Sen. Bobby Joe Champion; State Sen. Jeff Hayden; and Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis and Mayor Melvin Carter III of St. Paul. Major event sponsors are Best Buy and Ecolab with additional support from Medtronic Foundation Communities Fund, Target, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Xcel Energy, Cargill and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

 To enable more people to experience the MLK Breakfast, the event has transitioned from a televised event to streaming online exclusively at www.mlkbreakfast.com at 8 a.m.

 New York

The Greater New York Inter-Alumni Council (IAC) will host its 30th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 20 at Antun’s, 96-43 Springfield Blvd., Queens Village. Beginning at 9 a.m., close to 700 people are expected to attend, including UNCF friend and supporter U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The Rev. Jeffery S. Thompson of Amity Baptist Church will serve as the keynote speaker. This year’s honorees include the Epsilon Pi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and IAC member Harry Rabsatt, alumnus of UNCF-member institution Shaw University.

 Los Angeles

Hosted by UNCF Los Angeles and the UNCF Los Angeles Inter-Alumni Council, the 30th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., birthday celebration will take place at 8 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20 at The Proud Bird, 11022 Aviation Blvd, Los Angeles. More than 400 local leaders, supporters and HBCU alumni will come together to provide a quality education to students of color and inspire change for us all. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit 

https://www.uncf.org/event/2020-annual-mlk-breakfast-los-angeles or call 213.639.3800.

Washington, DC

UNCF and the Washington Inter-Alumni Council (WIAC) will host its 37th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Celebration at 8:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20 at The Hotel at The University of Maryland. With over 500 community influencers in attendance, this year’s keynote speaker will be Maryland Democratic Party Chairwoman, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and will be hosted by TV One’s Fatal Attraction Ashlei Stevens. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Harry Christian III at harry.christian@uncf.org or at 202.810.0333.

To learn more about UNCF’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., celebrations, please visit

UNCF.org/MLKEvents. Follow these events on social @UNCF #UNCF.

 

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About UNCF

UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

 

Monique LeNoir
United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF)
202-810-0231
monique.lenoir@uncf.org