Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Day Breakfast Inspires Old and Young

(From left) Senator Jeff Merkley, Keynote Speaker Mike Green, The Skanner News Group President Bernie Foster and event emcee Bobbie Foster headline The Skanner’s 26 Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Day Breakfast.

MIKE Program joined hundreds of community members to celebrate at The Skanner’s 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast in January. Bernie Foster, president of The Skanner News Group who serves on MIKE Program’s Advisory Board, compelled those in attendance to voice their concerns about their community. “What you have to say is important and you deserve to be heard,” he told the audience.

Foster focused on job creation as one vehicle to lift local communities out of the ongoing economic challenges which have affected people of color the hardest. Foster enlisted the help of government representatives in the room to further the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, JR., including Senator Jeff Merkley. “You are the ones who must make equity happen.”

Sen. Merkley answered Foster’s call, telling the audience, “we know that without education, we will not march forward effectively.”

Two MIKE Program youth from De La Salle North Catholic High School listened intently as Foster and other speakers focused on education, job creation and equity as goals to improve local communities. Keynote speaker Mike Green inspired the audience to build a better economy for all people by building relationships. His message reinforced the importance of education for young people of color. His comments highlighted what works to create positive change. MIKE Program has been implementing such methods to change the lives of young people.

Evelyn, one of the MIKE Program youth in attendance, holds education high on her list of goals. She wrote that she wanted to learn about importance of keeping her kidneys healthy, graduating to go far life and becoming more involved as ways to make a difference in her life when she began MIKE Program last fall. Since then, she and her classmates are building relationships with MIKE Program mentors who help reinforce those goals each week at De La Salle North Catholic High School. The mentors guide Evelyn and her classmates through a comprehensive curriculum to develop leadership skills to live healthier lives and become leaders of their generation.

The annual breakfast featured a presentation of scholarship winners that included four De La Salle North Catholic High School recipients. Kevin Jones, Christine Trinh, Lorena Santiago-Hernandez and Shaniece Curry received recognition for their academic work at the event.

Foster closed the event with the words of Rob Ingram who mentors youth in Portland, “Let’s get to work.” Ingram will host a Youth Summit Against Violence on Saturday, April 21 from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the Highland Christian Church. All youth under the age of 21 are encouraged to attend.

For more information about the Youth Summit, visit The Skanner at: http://www.theskanner.com.

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