The Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers held their annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast on Jan. 21 at Castle Royale, with the theme “Keeping the dream alive and empowering the next generation.”
This year’s honorees were State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, the Rev. Dr. Rupert Clarke, and Consumer Reports, Inc. This year’s master of ceremonies was Dennis Richmond Jr., founder of the Historic Black College & Universities Initiative.
The invocation was given by the Rev. Elijah Scott, pastor at Bethany AME Zion Church. The NCC Gospel Youth Choir and ShaMani Ricketts sang “Lift Every Voice,” and NCC Board President and Yonkers City Court Judge Evan Inlaw welcomed the large crowd that came out despite the bitter cold. This year’s keynote speaker was Michael Smith, executive director of the MBK Alliance.
Additional music was provided by Tisha Hunter, psalmist at St. Luke’s Baptist Church in New York City. NCC Executive Director Dr. Jim Bostic provided the following message for 2019: “Even in the darkest moments, there will always arise for greatness and goodness to occur. Regardless of what the political landscape may look like on the national level, the real change happens in small cities across the nation among everyday ordinary citizens.”
Closing remarks were made by the Rev. King of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.
