Chilly weather and an early start of 8 a.m. didn’t stop a community from breaking bread on Jan. 17 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
Overlooking 21 quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. engraved in granite slabs placed along the Martin Luther King Jr. walkway at Venetian Gardens in the City of Leesburg, the CommUnity Breakfast brought together more than 120 people to reflect on the civil rights leader’s lasting legacy.
The event — hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee (MLKCC) of Leesburg at the Venetian Center — was the first of a three-part celebration for the committee’s MLK Day of Remembrance themed, “Voices of Change: Igniting Hope, Power and Purpose.”
The breakfast preceded a parade and outdoor celebration featuring live music and vendors, all held before Martin Luther King Jr. Day — a federal holiday passed by Congress in 1983 to commemorate King’s birthday.
Lillian Lockette, CommUnity Breakfast chairperson and treasurer for MLKCC of Leesburg, said attendance exceeded the committee’s expectations.
“We expected to need at least 12 tables, but had to set up 18,” Lockette said. “It feels really great to see the community come together to inspire service. We want to stir something to make them connect and do more in the community.”
Monique Griffin-Gay, committee chairperson of MLKCC of Leesburg, said the goal of having breakfast together was to provide fuel for the soul.
Challenging those in attendance to honor King by helping others in need, Griffin-Gay said, building community to ignite change to achieve equality and peace is necessary.
“The movement doesn’t happen in the dining room, it happens in the community,” Griffin-Gay said. “Find someone in the community or in your family who needs help and give them your time.”
Griffin-Gay stressed the importance of being aware of not only King’s impact, but the impact of local leaders who shaped Leesburg into the close-knit community it is today and those who help the shape remain.
The monument and memorial for King outside of the Venetian Center attests to that impact.
Through a collaboration between the MLKCC of Leesburg and the City of Leesburg, the structures were built following a 1999 movement inspired by David Connelly, the city’s first Black commissioner and mayor.
“We have to be a light and educate our community,” Griffin-Gay said. “Our community has deep roots that I believe our younger generation isn’t aware of. We hope to ignite and educate the younger people. We want to challenge people to remember the past, yet step it up and do more in the future. We have to let people know we are all equal and have power.”
Leesburg’s Mayor Allyson Berry, the city’s first Black woman to hold the post, and District 4 Commissioner Leslie Campione read proclamations passed for the committee’s celebration during the hourlong breakfast.
Kathy Ingold, director of the Lake-Sumter State College Foundation, announced to a $5,000 donation to the MLKCC of Leesburg Achieve the Dream Scholarship for graduating seniors in Lake and Sumter counties. Applications for the scholarship will open in February, with $10,000 total in awards available for 2026.
Also during the breakfast, the MLKCC of Leesburg gave community services awards to Leesburg High School Construction Academy, Fred Griffin Jr., Lucressie D. McGriff and Linda Berry Mobley.
Griffin said it was a privilege to receive the award for his involvement in more than 10 local organizations — six of which he holds the position of executive board member.
“I make sure every day to live up to the legacy of Dr. King,” Griffin said. “Not for an award or recognition, but because that is what he fought for.”
Momentum moved a few blocks over to Main Street for the parade when the breakfast ended.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Leesburg police and fire departments cleared a path, as the Sophisticated Gents of Florida followed, escorting Berry the and community service awards recipients.
Glen Lomax, president of the Sophisticated Gents of Florida, was delighted to participate in the events with other members of the nonprofit organization.
“It is so important that we keep this history alive by being able to support Leesburg being a beacon of hope,” Lomax said.
The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps., St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church and Eustis African American Heritage Committee Inc. also participated in the parade with many other organizations inspired to march together in King’s memory.
Ralph and Edna Coleman have remained involved as parade chairpersons for MLKCC of Leesburg after acting as Martin and Coretta Scott King during the 2019 MLK parade.
“I admire the way Martin Luther King handled racism,” Ralph said. “He did it with nonviolence. That inspired me to be a part of what we are doing now. We want to inspire people to show more love and compassion.”
The word unity in community is what motivates Edna.
“God expects us to work together,” she said. “We are all human beings and we are all special in God’s eyes.”
Steps away from where the parade ended, the third and final event of MLK Day of Remembrance was set up in front of Leesburg’s City Hall.
Soulfest 2026, presented by Artist with a Purpose in partnership with YoungLake Co., seamlessly guided people who watched or participated in the parade to live music and local vendors.
Attendees danced in the street or in their chairs to soulful performances by the Fish N Grits band.
The festival included food trucks and a line up of local vendors — Charter Research, the Lake County Training School – Carver Heights High School Foundation and the Lake, Sumter, Marion Counties Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc..
Shaun Wethington, founder of the Lake, Sumter, Marion Counties Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., said celebrating Dr. King and what he stood for was an honor.
“Dr. King and Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune had the same mission,” she said. “We stand on their shoulders to bring the community in peace and unity.”
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
