WORCESTER, Mass. - After going virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast made its return to the campus of Quinsigamond Community College. 

2023 marks the 38th year of the annual celebration, which honors the life and message of the iconic civil rights leader. Hundreds visited the Worcester campus this year. This year’s theme for recognizing King is “a day of service.” 

QCC President Luis Pedraja says the breakfast has become an important community event, which highlights not just Dr. King's life, but the legacy he left behind. Worcester City Manager Eric Batista says the city is doing its best to follow King’s lead.

"Worcester strives to honor its legacy by embracing its diversity and promoting an equitable and inclusive community," said Batista. "Not only do those values guide our work at city hall, but one of my top priorities is to create a more inclusive and representative workforce. But it extends across our community as we elevate under-represented groups, making sure their voices are heard as we build an equitable future for Worcester."

Monday's celebration also featured an award ceremony, which saw several students in the area awarded the MLK Scholarship.