Berkeley commemorated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLK) legacy with its 15th annual community breakfast on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at the DoubleTree at the Berkeley Marina. This year’s theme, “Be the Light,” called on the community to push through darkness and hardships at a federal level by maintaining social activism, civic engagement, and togetherness.
The event, which brought together hundreds of community members, featured performances by the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and Young, Gifted and Black (YGB), a youth performance group. The breakfast was organized by a committee made up of an intersectional group, including former law enforcement, faith-based leaders, community members, and government officials, and was designed to be a representation of the diversity of the Berkeley community.
Tasha Henneman, co-chair of organizing this year’s breakfast, emphasized the importance of Berkeley coming together to commemorate King’s legacy each year. “It’s important for us to come together as a community and uplift people who are doing such great work in Berkeley,” she said. “It just really reaffirms our values – participation in community and making sure that we’re uplifting folks who are doing the work for people who need it most,” she continued.
Ten Berkeley Unified School District students received Next Generation Awards, which recognize students who demonstrate King’s legacy by promoting social justice, nonviolent resolution to conflict, and causes related to peace and equality.
Six middle school students — two from each of Berkeley’s three middle schools — received one hundred dollar Pegasus Books gift cards, while four high school students, two each from Berkeley High School and Berkeley Technology Academy (BTA), received five hundred dollar scholarships to pursue higher education.
Corina Blanton, a senior at BHS, was recognized for her leadership as senior class president and her role as a dedicated member of the African diaspora dance class. “It means a lot to be nominated for this. I know this is what (King) wanted, and this is just the message and the love he wanted to spread,” Blanton said. “I feel really honored to be a part of that, and ... that someone in the community has been watching me and thinks I honor his values,” she continued.
August Rayvan, an eighth grader at Willard Middle School, was honored for their leadership, including work with the Growing Leaders program, where they delivered meals to teachers and helped new students. Teachers described Rayvan as “a quiet but powerful leader” who served as a tutor and presented a moving project at this year’s cultural fair, honoring their family as community leaders through their work as firefighters and queer activists. “Especially as we’re learning about the civil rights movement in history class, learning about how much (King) did for the African American community, getting an award under his name means so much that I can represent that,” Rayvan said.
David Robinson, an eighth grader at Longfellow Middle School, was recognized for his work as an UMOJA scholar, member of the school orchestra, and vice president of the Black Student Union. “Even with this award, I can keep learning more about him and how I embody him. It just really makes me proud, and I hope it makes him proud too,” Robinson said about receiving the award in King’s name.
Kaelon Colston, a senior dually enrolled at BHS and BTA, was honored for his positive leadership and dedication to playing the trumpet. “This nomination means a lot to me as a young black man, and with MLK’s name behind this — his courage, diversity, and availability for the people,” Colston said, “It shows that when I come in every day, and I try to be the best person that I can be and show leadership towards my peers, this acknowledgement means a lot to me.”
Dr. Denise Herd, the first African American in University of California Berkeley’s School of Public Health to be promoted to full professor, delivered the keynote address. Herd’s speech focused on three key aspects of King’s legacy: his ability to imagine a desired future while in despair, his conviction that unity and mutual respect were essential to achieving social goals, and his pragmatic vision for social equity. “Dr. King had a deep conviction that the pathway to this dream was fostering absolute unity and mutual respect among people. He understood that we could never achieve our goals without unity,” Herd said.
She highlighted UC Berkeley’s role as a “beacon of light,” noting that faculty at the university still maintain freedom to teach about American history, climate change, and women’s health — topics that are restricted in other parts of the country.
Three Community Action Awards were presented to organizations and individuals doing work related to the breakfast’s theme. The Berkeley Immigration Collaborative was recognized for providing legal services following the 2024 election, The Othering & Belonging Insitute was honored for its work promoting belonging and social inclusion, and Santiago Casal received an award for creating a solar calendar designed to honor Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Malcolm Margolin, who championed indigenous histories and California culture. Claire Greensfelder accepted the award on behalf of Margolin, who passed away in 2025.
Black Gold, a program under YGB, presented spoken word, poetry, and song focused on Black history and empowerment. “We spread Black Power and lessons through song, rap, and poetry,” Sicily Reizeck, one of the performers, said. “It’s really important for us to make sure that the younger generation and everybody is educated,” Reizeck continued.
A BHS Jazz combo also performed throughout the morning. Tilu Blain-Galvez, a pianist and sophomore at BHS, appreciates the event for highlighting African American culture and being a space to foster his love for jazz music. “Being mixed, I’m not that exposed to my African American culture,” Blain-Galvez said. “It’s nice to be able to participate in this and contribute to the event with another interest I have, which is jazz,” he said.
One attendee, Daryl Nunley has attended the breakfast many times and said he keeps returning because it’s “the best Martin Luther King event in the area. If I don’t start my Martin Luther King celebration with this breakfast, then I’m missing something,” Nunley said. He noted the importance of involving youth in the event: “When they honor the different students of the different schools and their work in the community and their schools, it’s always interesting and informative and brightens up your day to let you know that there’s some youth out there who are learning about Martin Luther King.”
Following the breakfast, Mayor Adena Ishii’s Office hosted Berkeley’s first MLK Day of Service. The Berkeley Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department led volunteers in a shoreline cleanup at the marina, while others volunteered at Dorothy Day House, a homeless shelter and soup kitchen near BHS.
Henneman, who has been involved with the breakfast for over a decade, emphasized the personal nature of the work. “As a child, my sisters and I sang songs for this event about freedom and social justice. It’s kind of like a full-circle moment to be participating on this planning committee,” she said. “I think organizing this event is an active care and commitment to Berkeley. We’re building bridges across our communities, lifting up and centering the voices of the organizations that are doing this amazing work,” Henneman said.
Reflecting on this year’s theme, co-host Pastor Anthony Hughes had a message for the audience. “Today’s theme was ‘Be the Light.’ In my tradition, there’s a song that says ‘This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine’ – not ‘I might let it shine,’ not ‘I could let it shine,’ but ‘I’m gonna let it shine,’” he said. “Each of you brought some light into this space today. The challenge is to let our light shine out there … May we leave here carrying our lights with us, letting them shine,” Hughes said.