The theme of this year’s celebrations was ‘Building Community, Uniting Nations in a Nonviolent Way’.
By Ed James III
Original Air Date: January 21, 2026
Host: A sold-out breakfast event, a Unity Walk through Newtown that ended at the point of departure, and food, music and more speeches in the park next to the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex were among the highlights of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. And so was this year’s theme: “Building Community, Uniting Nations in a Nonviolent Way.” Ed James III was there to report about it for WSLR.
[Marching band percussion and chanting]
Ed James III: Hundreds gathered for the 45th edition of the MLK Memorial Breakfast. The program opened with the Booker High School JROTC presenting the colors, followed by the audience joining together to sing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” During the breakfast, Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds took the stage to perform Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.”
After the performance, I had the chance to speak with several community members about what this means to them.
Jetson Grimes is the owner of Jetson’s Unisex Salon. He has been part of the Newtown community for over 80 years and has seen this event grow from its early days.
Jetson Grimes: This is our 45th year. In fact, we were doing this particular event even before it became a national holiday, and I chaired some of the events during that period. At one time, they wouldn’t even let us protest or march downtown, but we continued to move forward with this event and give recognition to a great man that did a lot of things for this country.
EJ: Mr. Grimes talked about the importance of recording this history so the next generation understands the struggles that came before them.
Willie Charles Shaw is a former mayor and city commissioner. As a veteran, he spoke about his commitment to the country and his concerns about the current political climate.
Willie Charles Shaw: What a day. What a day of remembrance. It is a day that we must reflect upon what we thought we may have come out of to see how easily it can be shattered—pushed backwards—when we speak of Mr. Trump and those efforts. We’ve come too far to go back. We have done too much as a nation. When I raise—as a vet, when I come to that Pledge of Allegiance and I get to that portion—“One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”—I take that as an oath, as a covenant. Every time I raise my salute—I’ve done my part. I’m a veteran. My dad was a veteran.
EJ: Dr. Greg Marshall is the president of the Sarasota Democratic Black Caucus. He described the work his organization is doing to keep people involved in local issues.
Greg Marshall: We are trying to lay the foundation. We are trying to establish the guardrails. Right now, there are no guardrails. I can’t really speak for the Democratic Party, but the Black Caucus itself is trying to establish ourselves as the home base—to come home, to rally, to organize and to get active and involved in what’s going on in the community right now.
EJ: A large part of the morning was dedicated to presenting awards to local citizens for their work in health, education, and community service.
In the category of community service, awards went to Monica Donley for her work with Sisters Sowing Seeds and Joseph Mack for his long-time work in the neighborhood.
For healthcare, the committee honored David Morse and Meadow Walker. Before her award, Walker spoke to the crowd about mental health, encouraging people to “release and empty out” the stress and burdens they carry.
Susan Imperato received the award for education. The final honor of the morning was the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Valerie Buchand of Newtown Nation.
Valerie stated: “You can’t serve a people you don’t love. It takes conviction. It’s not about being flamboyant; it’s about doing the work for the people. It’s about being a voice for those who don’t have one.”
Valerie Buchand: Really, you can’t serve who you don’t love. Not totally. You can do enough to get paid, but if you really love the people, it comes without saying.
EJ: The morning’s master of ceremonies was Jessika Ward. Before the crowd headed outside, she gave a final charge to the younger people.
Jessika stated: “I feel blessed and chosen to be in this position…but we can’t get spoiled. We have to stay focused on voter registration and being involved, or we’ll find ourselves in a place worse than Jim Crow.”
Jessika Ward: I work as a CNA, and one of my patients is a doctor. He’s 95 years old, so he’s a retired doctor, but he’s a Black guy, and he always tells me every time I’m with him—he’s like, “You know, Jessika, I’ve seen the world change so much. I’ve seen so many politicians. I’ve seen so many different changes. I’ve seen us go from Jim Crow to this,” and he was telling me this is worse than the Jim Crow Era. When we say “social justice issues,” a lot of the things that we’re dealing with are registering to vote, making sure that young people are involved with politics, making sure that we’re aware of what’s going on. I think that, right now, as young Black people, we could turn our eye to something else because we’re so spoiled, but I think that it’s important that we stay in tune and stay aligned and make sure that we’re aware.
Ronnie Phelps, Jen Ahearn-Koch and Flo Entler
EJ: Following the breakfast, the group began the Unity Walk. This year, the route took us down John Rivers Street. The street is named for the late John Rivers, a former President of the Sarasota NAACP and a key plaintiff in the James v. Sarasota lawsuit. That legal battle changed how Sarasota held elections and eventually led to Fredd “Glossie” Atkins becoming the city’s first Black elected official.
The walk ended back at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, marking the conclusion of the day’s official ceremonies. From the stories of Jetson Grimes to the work of this year’s award winners, the message of the day was clear: The mission continues through the work of the people here in Sarasota, and unity is no longer just a dream; it is a “mission possible.”
[Marching band percussion and chanting]
EJ: For WSLR News, I’m Ed James III.
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