Westerville MLK Breakfast Celebration

Our theme for 2027 is Cultivating Compassion: Listening Across Differences, Acting for Justice. This year's Westerville MLK Breakfast Celebration will explore the theme of Cultivating Compassion and the role compassion plays in building Dr. King's Beloved Community. Compassion is not a passive feeling but an active pursuit that requires us to listen, learn, and engage.The conversation will focus on three pillars of cultivating compassion:
​
Inform – Increasing our understanding of the experiences, challenges, and perspectives of others.
Inspire – Highlighting individuals and organizations working to address inequities and strengthen our communities.
Involve – Encouraging action and commitment.

Our panelists include Dr. Joseph Oteng, Visiting Professor at Georgetown University; Dr. Rhonda Talford McClure, Chief Inclusion Officer at Otterbein University; and Tre Douglas, English Learner (EL) Facilitator for Westerville City Schools.

Our panelists will share their perspectives on why it is important to educate ourselves about the issues affecting our communities, recognize and support those working toward solutions, and find ways to become actively involved. Through their insights and experiences, attendees will be invited to consider how compassion can move beyond awareness and become a catalyst for justice, connection, and collective action.

If you have a question you would like to ask our panelists, please fill out this form.

Nominations for the 2027 Alston and Fouse Awards are now open. Winners will ber recognized at the breakfast celebration.