MLK Jr. Breakfast celebrates 25 years of understanding

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on January 09, 2009

In 1985, Mary Pittman Wyatt was inspired to bring the community together to recognize the work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and to help people better understand each other and work toward common goals.

Now, with the Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast's 25th year about to the celebrated, the committee organizing the annual event plans to honor Wyatt by placing her name on one of the annual scholarships given to high school seniors who exemplify King's goals of achieving first-class citizenship for people of all colors, races, religions and ethnicities.

This year's breakfast will take place Jan. 17 at the middle school cafeteria, with doors opening at 8:30 a.m. for coffee, and breakfast served at 9 a.m.

The awards presentations, which also includes a citizens of the year citation, and a four-person speakers panel, will begin at 10 a.m.

Richmond Ampiah-Bonney, a member of the breakfast committee, said he expects the speakers to focus on accomplishments over the last quarter century.

"The panel will be giving views on how much we've achieved and how far we've come," Ampiah-Bonney said.

The speakers this year will be Lisa Baskin, a Hampshire County organizer for the Barack Obama presidential campaign, Esther Terry, former chairwoman of the Afro-American Studies department at the University of Massachusetts, professor emeritus Dr. William Darity, and the Dr. Rev. Arthur Hilson.

Theresa Gordon, a member of the organizing committee, said the theme this year will be about King's dream then, now, and going into the future.

"It's a great community gathering, and it will continue," Gordon said.

Besides honoring Wyatt as its founder, the 25th breakfast is meant to celebrate what has been achieved. Ampiah-Bonney said all of the past scholarship winners and citizens of the year have been invited to come back to commemorate the occasion.

The music will be performed by the choirs at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Hadley and Goodwin Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Amherst, the churches that have annually sponsored the event and the same choirs that performed in the inaugural event.

The church choirs will be joined by the Shutesbury Elementary Chorus led by Deborah Campbell, and there will also be a benediction and convocation by the pastors at the churches.

Tickets, which are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and students, and $5 for children 12 and younger, are sold at the door and are also available at the Jones Library and Hastings in Amherst, Broadside Bookshop in Northampton and World Eye Bookshop in Greenfield. Tables can be reserved for $120.

The money raised offsets expenses of putting on the breakfast and also goes toward the scholarships.

People can also make contributions throughout the year to the fund by sending donations to MLK Scholarship, P.O. Box 3211, Amherst, MA 01004-3211.