While the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Power Leadership Breakfast was again held virtually in 2022, its message and the scholarships it provides remained powerful reminders of the work championed by its namesake.
In a welcome message from the event’s organizing committee, event co-chairs Dr. Millie Black and Dr. Albert Tezeno talked about the need to continue the work set forth by Dr. King in his renowned “I Have a Dream” speech.
Dr. Black said that we must dream what might seem like impossible dreams, reaching higher while also reaching back to help others, educating in a way that provides transformative thinking, helping people aspire to new heights, and motivating individuals with determination and vigor.
“As we Dream, Reach, Educate, Aspire, and Motivate, we must remember that we cannot do it alone,” Dr. Black said, joining with Dr. Tezeno to add, “We must do it together. It’s time to DREAM.”
Rev. Christopher Lee, associate pastor of Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church, expanded on that message, first by quoting a section of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, then noting that while some progress has been made, the dream has not been fully realized. He shared personal stories from his ministry to illustrate the point.
He said that “reaching” does not mean simply using Dr. King’s words as a slogan. It means reaching out personally to one another to understand and grow. For him, “educating” means getting to know one another and understanding that everyone comes to the conversation with their own experiences. The gulfs between those experiences may be vast, but they can be navigated if we look for ways to come together.
He said we should “aspire” to be as open as children who have no boundaries of who they will play with.
Of motivation, Lee said, “I would argue that we have lost our motivation to stand and to peaceably fight because we have gotten comfortable, or maybe we fear the consequences of standing.” He then added that life’s most persistent question is, “What are you doing for others? What will it take for you to get motivated?”
He closed by saying, “Now is the time, not only to dream, but in our dreaming to reach out, to educate, to motivate, to aspire, to inspire this generation, to do better, to be better, and to be accountable to each other.”
One of the ways that the annual breakfast helps students reach their dreams is the awarding of scholarships. This year’s scholarship recipients were:
- Yasameen Ayub, recipient of the Pastor Isaiah Joshua Community Scholarship
- Charleen Bartholomew, recipient of the Plano North Metroplex Chapter of The Links Incorporated Scholarship
- Kerubo Kenani, recipient of the Chi Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Scholarship
- Sharonza Penson, recipient of the Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Brister Scholarship and the Powerful Journey Scholarship
- Eric Soldevilla, recipient of the Julia and Michael Dulan/Plano North Metroplex Chapter of the Links Scholarship
Those who want to help future students reach their dreams can do so by donating to scholarship at https://www.collin.edu/foundation/give/mlk.html.
Click here to see the complete 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Power Leadership Breakfast program.