The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast
Committee is pleased to announce the 2026 Unity Breakfast Celebration is planned for
Monday, January 19 at the Blue Ridge Conference Hall on Blue Ridge Community
College’s campus. The doors for the event will open at 8:00 a.m., with breakfast
provided by “A Catering Couple” at 8:15 a.m., and the program at 9:00 a.m.
The 2026 event marks the 26th year of the MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast in Henderson
County. This year’s celebration focuses on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote “You don’t
have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”.
Breeana Clayton, Henderson County Public School’s Beginning Teacher of the Year
2022-23, will lead this year’s celebration as emcee. The celebration will host music by
Ray Mapp, the Sax Man, and a clarinet performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing by Dr.
Christopher Wilson.
This year’s celebration will put a special emphasis on the up-and-coming generation of
leaders. City Council Woman Melinda Lawrence will announce the NAACP Afro-
Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics Poetry Contest winners.
Additionally, Citlally Diaz-Mar, the Boys & Girls Club 2025 North Carolina Youth of the
Year, will share her experiences in leadership and her hope for the future.
This event is open to the public; however, tickets are required. Tickets are $15 for adults
and $5 for youth under 18 and can be purchased through the Community Foundation of
Henderson County’s website, or at their office located at 401 N. Main Street, Suite
300.Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the event.
For more information, attendees can call (828) 697-6224 or visit cfhcforever.org and
click the button on the homepage’s rotating headers.
Community Foundation of Henderson County serves as the fiscal sponsor for the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast Committee.
