2023 MLK Celebration

“Unfinished Business: The Continued March Towards Justice”

Nick Bankston

Dear Friends,

In celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Delaware County MLK Day Committee and Ohio Wesleyan University are pleased to announce the 30th annual community breakfast will feature keynote speaker Nick Bankston, a dedicated public servant.

Mr. Bankston is the CEO of Gladden Community House and a member of Columbus City Council, where he chairs the Small & Minority Business, Technology, and Economic Development committees. Previously, Mr. Bankston oversaw the city’s neighborhood revitalization planning and implementation efforts for Mayor Ginther’s priority neighborhoods.

The celebration also will feature a performance by members of Urban Strings, directed by Mrs. Catherine Willis. The 30th annual MLK celebration will be held Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, in Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware, Ohio. The doors will open and breakfast begin at 7:45 a.m. The program will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. and adjourn at 9:30 a.m.

Individual tickets are $25, and sponsorship for the event is $240 for a table of 8 ($30 per seat in recognition of the event’s 30th anniversary). We encourage you, as a Delaware County business, church, organization, or individual, to sponsor the program. Your sponsorship helps us to fund the Delaware County MLK Scholarship Program.

Since 1990, we have awarded over $34,000 in scholarships to Delaware County students. This year’s recipients Ava Johnson and Sophia Guerra will be recognized at the event. If you are not able to attend, your donation to the scholarship fund, or sponsorship of any amount, will be honored and acknowledged at the celebration.

For access to online ticket purchases, please visit https://bit.ly/30thAnnualMLK. Online purchases will end Jan. 9, 2023.

In addition to the annual breakfast, you also are invited to join us for an online-only panel discussion at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. The discussion will explore “From Civil Rights to Wakanda: An Exploration of Blackness & Media” and include panelists Dr. Phokeng Dailey, Saharla Loyan, Tamika Vinson-Reid, and Jason Timpson, with Dawn Chisebe serving as moderator. The event will be accessible here.

We appreciate your continued support of our vision to keep Dr. King’s Dream Alive in Delaware. We look forward to being with you for this exciting celebration. 

Peace & Blessings, 
The Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Celebration Committee