San Francisco's labor, civic, business and community leaders, join with the community at the annual MLK Labor & Community Breakfast to launch the events on the federal holiday honoring Dr. King.
The 2025 MLK Labor & Community Breakfast, proudly hosted by the NorcalMLK Foundation and the San Francisco Labor Council, serves as a poignant tribute to the profound intersection of labor and community collaboration in the ongoing fight for civil rights and workers' rights. This annual gathering brings together a distinguished assembly of leaders from various spheres: labor, civic, political, business, and community, converging with individuals from all walks of life.
At the heart of this event lies the presentation of the esteemed The NorcalMLK 2025 Honorable Willie B Kennedy Civic Service Award. This award recognizes exceptional individuals who have dedicated their lives to the service of their communities, embodying the values and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2025 Willie B Kennedy Civic Service Award recipient is none other than the Hon. Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, senior minister of the historic Third Baptist Church in San Francisco and past member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
In addition to the Willie B Kennedy Award recognition, attendees are treated to a profound Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Reflection, to be delivered this year by Dr. Willie James Jennings, Ph.D., the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale Divinity School. Dr. Jennings is the author of The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race published by Yale University Press and recipient of the 2010 American Academy of Religion Book of the Year in the Constructive- Reflective Studies category. It is one of the most important books in theology written in the last 25 years and is now a standard text read in colleges, seminaries, and universities. Dr. Jennings is also the recipient of the 2015 Grawemeyer Award in Religion for his groundbreaking work on race and Christianity. Dr. Jennings’s commentary on the Book of Acts won the Reference Book of the Year Award, from The Academy of Parish Clergy. He is also the author of After Whiteness: An Education in Belonging, which was the inaugural book in the much-anticipated book series, Theological Education between the Times, and has already become an instant classic, winning the 2020 book of the year award from Publisher’s Weekly.*
Dr. Jennings is in high demand as a speaker and is widely recognized as a major figure in theological studies and theological education across North America and the world. He has given several prestigious lectures, including the Bampton Lectures at Oxford University, the Huslean Lectures at Cambridge University (Fall 2024), the Cole Lecture at Vanderbilt University, the Parks-King Lecture at Yale University, the Ferguson Lecture at Manchester University, and the Hughes-Cheong Lecture at the University of Melbourne.*
Dr. Jennings is completing work on a two volume project on the doctrine of creation. Volume two, provisionally entitled, Jesus and the Displaced: The Redemption of Habitation, will be published before volume one which carries the provisionally title, Unfolding the Word: Recasting a Christian Doctrine of Creation. Dr. Jennings is also finishing a book of poetry entitled, The Time of Possession.*
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Reflection provides a space for contemplation and inspiration, delving into the significance of Dr. King's legacy in the context of our contemporary world.
The MLK Labor & Community Breakfast stands as a testament to the enduring power of unity, showcasing the vital importance of diverse sectors working together to champion justice, equality, and the rights of workers. It is a momentous occasion that not only honors the past but also sets the tone for a future where collaboration continues to drive meaningful change and social progress.
* Willie Jennings. Yale University Divinity School. Date accessed November 29, 2024. https://divinity.yale.edu/faculty-and-research/yds-faculty/willie-james-jennings.
