Worcester Community Gathers for 41st Annual MLK Breakfast

Shrishti Das

Staff Writer

Worcester’s academic community gathered on Monday, Jan. 20, as Assumption University and Quinsigamond Community College co-hosted their 41st Annual MLK Community Breakfast, continuing a four-decade tradition of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy.

Deborah Hall, CEO of YWCA Central Massachusetts, emceed the event, which featured Rabbi Valerie Cohen of Temple Emmanuel Sinai delivering the invocation.

Worcester’s civic leaders, including U.S. Representative Jim McGovern, State Senator Robyn Kennedy, Mayor Joseph M. Petty, and university presidents Luis G. Pedraja and Greg Weiner, addressed attendees.

Weiner connected King’s philosophy to Assumption’s mission, emphasizing that King championed unity through diversity. He noted that Assumption fosters civic friendship, where different perspectives strengthen the shared pursuit of truth and justice, work requiring courage, humility, and compassion.

Dr. Jennifer Davis Carey, former Executive Director of the Worcester Education Collaborative, delivered the keynote address. Carey brings extensive experience from K-12 and higher education, including directing minority recruitment at Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and holding senior Massachusetts state positions.

The breakfast continued its scholarship tradition, having distributed over $200,000 since 1986 to support local students pursuing higher education. This year’s ceremony also presented the Eleanor T. Hawley Community Service Award and the Worcester Fire Department Lt. Herbert A. Wilson Achievement Award.

Clark University’s Campus and Community Ambassadors attended the breakfast, bringing an additional layer of community engagement to the event.

Feyzal Ebrahim, Associate Director of Community Living at Clark, reflected on the experience. “Despite the cold morning and the fresh blanket of snow, the atmosphere at Assumption University was warm, welcoming, and full of purpose,” Ebrahim said.

“From the moment we boarded the buses to the moment we were greeted by student hosts, it was clear that this gathering was not just a breakfast, but a community coming together in shared reflection.”

The program’s musical tributes and dramatic retelling of key moments from the Civil Rights Movement resonated deeply with Clark’s ambassadors. Ebrahim noted that witnessing these historical struggles brought to life reaffirmed their commitment to show up, serve, and stand beside their neighbors with humility and intention.

Clark’s work in Worcester’s Main South community embodies the values Dr. King championed—solidarity, service, and justice rooted in everyday action. Whether cleaning streets alongside residents, supporting local events, or simply being present where needed, the university aims to strengthen bonds between campus and community.

“The MLK Breakfast reinforced that the fight for dignity and equity is not historical, but rather ongoing, lived daily in Worcester’s neighborhoods,” Ebrahim said.

Community engagement extended beyond recognition. The Worcester Area Mission Society and United Congregational Church collected children’s books about Dr. King for Worcester and Fitchburg elementary students.

The YMCA and Empowering People for Inclusive Communities recruited volunteers for Worcester County service projects, ensuring King’s legacy continues through year-round action.