SARASOTA MLK CELEBRATION COMMITTEE HONORS REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DURING 44TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION
The Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee (The Committee) is excited to announce the 44th annual commemoration of the life and legacy of civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize Honoree Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Over two days, committee members will host and participate in community events celebrating Rev. Dr. King’s positive impact on the civil rights movement and the social, political, and economic progression of Black Americans. Dr. King is widely known for leading life-changing civil rights acts. One of them is the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, the first nonviolent bus boycott that resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that bus segregation was unconstitutional. He also led the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March, which resulted in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream Speech” during the 1963 March on Washington.
“This year marks 57 years since Dr. King’s untimely assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee,” said Jetson Grimes, The Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee Chairperson.
“I am glad his dream is still alive and a beacon of hope for generations championing positive change worldwide.” “Every year, I am excited to join fellow community members in hosting the commemorative celebration because I see the realization of Dr. King’s dream as people of all different backgrounds join together to honor his legacy.”
The 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards will be held on Monday, January 20, 2025, at 7:30 a.m. at Robert L. Taylor Community Complex This year’s honorees are Community Service – Mary Butler, President of the Amaryllis Park Neighborhood Association, Historic Newtown District; Public Service – Thomas Fairley, Executive Director, Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross; Education – Eula T. Bacon, Program Director of Bridges to Educational Excellence (BEE) Learning Center; Health Care – Vida Farhangi, M.D., Medical Director, Sarasota Memorial Internal Medicine – Newtown and FSU College of Medicine; and Lifetime Achievement – Dannie R. Brown, Retired Educator and Co-Founder, Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee.
The two-day celebration includes a tribute eventco-hosted by Temple Emanu-EL and The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee in addition to the highly anticipated Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards. Proceeds from the event are allocated toward awarding scholarships to deserving students pursuing a post-secondary education. Immediately after the breakfast is the unity walk to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park for a four-hourlong community and commemorative celebration. The unity walk will depart from Robert L. Taylor Community Complex at 11:00 a.m. The community festival will feature food vendors, live musical entertainment, medical and wellness fair and various speakers. It is free to the public.
Seating is limited for the breakfast and no tickets will be sold at the door. Visit Eventbrite.com for tickets. For additional information about the events contact Nicole Brown, 941-2810520. or SRQMLKCelebrationPR@Gmail.com.
About the Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee
Founded in 1987, dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. MLK, Jr. Funds generated through its mission are allocated toward awarding scholarships to low-income minority students in pursuit of higher education.
