Pulitzer Prize-Winner Is Keynote Speaker At 40th Annual MLK Breakfast

BRANFORD, CT — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Jeffrey C. Stewart will be the guest speaker at the MLK Heritage Foundation’s 40th annual MLK Day Breakfast on Jan. 20, 2025 at Branford High School.

A professor of Black Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara, who won both the Pulitzer and National Book Award for his biography of Harlem Renaissance writer Alain Locke, Dr. Stewart will discuss “Nonviolence: Now More than Ever,” centering on Dr. King’s commitment to peaceful protest.

It’s a particularly poignant topic given the fractures in our society, said Mary Fitz-Perry, President of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Heritage Foundation.

“The last many years, we’ve seen an increase in anger and hostility, and sometimes it feels like we’re going backward instead of forward,” said Fitz-Perry. “We need to remember that political issues are just that – political – and at the end of the day, we are family, neighbors, community, and should embrace each other more, not less.”

In a Patch conversation with Stewart, he asked rhetorically, "Why not non-violence? War does not lead to peace. Can we at least not give (nonviolence) another chance?"

"My question is—what has happened to King’s dream, which is an update of the Christian founders’ dream of America, what I believe King articulated better in the 20th century better than anyone else in his advocacy of nonviolence as the key to successful pursuit of social change in America," Stewart posed. "I raise this question because it appears almost everywhere in our public discourse nationally and internationally that America not only does not practice nonviolence but has embraced its opposite—the chimera that the promised land, that peace, can only be obtained through violence and war."

At the MLK breakfast, the audience will hear his thoughts, and "suspicions."

"When I started writing another book on the contributions that Black intellectuals have made
to America, I decided that when I came to Martin Luther King, I would not focus on his role as a
movement politician and leader, or on his later advocacy for a poor peoples' movement, but on the one aspect of King’s philosophy that seems to get the least attention of all in contemporary discourse about King—his advocacy of nonviolence and his opposition to war," Stewart said. "Why is that not mentioned as much as other aspects of his thought? I have my suspicions, which I will share with the audience."

The event, which begins at 8:30 a.m., will be moderated by Keith Kountz of News Channel 8. The breakfast is prepared by the BHS Culinary Arts Program, with music by the BHS Music Makers. Proceeds from the breakfast provide scholarships for BHS students who embody the spirit of Dr. King.

“We are thrilled to partner with the MLK Heritage Foundation for the annual breakfast, which is a powerful reminder of the strength of unity and the importance of leading with dignity and purpose,” said Branford Public Schools Superintendent Christopher Tranberg. “We are especially proud of our talented culinary and music students, whose contributions showcase the creativity, dedication, and passion that represents our students so well.”

Held since 1985, the MLK Day Breakfast annually attracts packed houses, and has featured an inspiring array of speakers, such as famed teacher and anti-racism firebrand Jane Elliott, author Chris Wilson, New Haven mayor Toni Harp, and State Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Fitz-Perry noted that 40 years ago, St. Stephen’s AME Zion Church began the MLK breakfast event.

"It was a weekend of celebration and fun," she said. "The Men of St. Stephen’s Church organized the event focusing on Dr. King, family, friends and other churches in the community. They had family game night, basketball games with youth and an ecumenical service which included numerous churches in town. Some men involved included the late Louie Burns and Joseph Chandler, former Branford Chief of Police John Gill and Collin Rouse.

Based in Branford, the MLK Heritage Foundation’s other programs include “Meals for the Mind,” a groundbreaking new series of bi-monthly evenings where a small group of people from different backgrounds - whether cultural, racial, ideological, or generational – share a meal, talk, and simply get to know each other.

Tickets to hear Dr. Stewart are $20, and include a full breakfast. Student tickets are just $5. For tickets go to https://events.eventgroove.com/event/2025-Mlk-Breakfast-Jeffrey-C-Stewart-103201.

For more information on the MLK Heritage Foundation, visit the MLK Heritage Foundation's Facebook page, or email MLKheritage5@gmail.com.

The 2025 MLK Day Breakfast is sponsored by Branford Public Schools, the Branford Rotary Club, Branford Community Foundation, Guilford Savings Bank, St. Stephens AME Zion Church, the First Congregational Church of Branford, and Trinity Episcopal Church.