Oakbrook Terrace, IL, Jan 26, 2026(Yes Punjab News)
The 3rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast was held at the Drury Lane Theater in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. This significant gathering, known as the DuPage County MLK Unity Breakfast, was organized to honor and celebrate the profound impact and enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The event brought together a diverse array of community members, including political, business, and civic leaders, neighbors, and changemakers, all united by the common goal of fostering unity within DuPage County and beyond.
The breakfast marked the largest MLK Day event of its kind in Illinois, orchestrated by the Dr. Martin Luther King Fund of the DuPage Foundation. The program commenced with an opening blessing delivered by several interfaith leaders, emphasizing the importance of spiritual reflection and collective purpose.
Bhai Mohinder Singh, representing the Sikh community Gurdwara of Wheaton (Illinois Sikh Community Center), participated in the interfaith invocation, highlighting the inclusive nature of the celebration and reinforcing the essential understanding that we are all one human race.
Attendees were treated to inspiring live performances by the MLK Unity Choir, which set the tone for a morning filled with hope and reflection. A fireside chat, featuring Regina Brent in conversation with Dorothy Counts-Scoggins—one of the first Black students to attend Harding High School in Charlotte, North Carolina during school integration—was met with resounding applause and appreciation.
The central focus of the breakfast was to advance Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community” within DuPage County. Throughout the year, various MLK educational and social events have played a key role in bringing the community together and these ongoing initiatives serve to strengthen the bonds among residents and ensure Dr. King’s teachings remain alive in the hearts and actions of the community.
During the event, the “Open Door Award” was presented to Stephen L. Davis in recognition of his exemplary leadership and dedication to fostering inclusivity in the community.
The participation of the Sikh community was coordinated by Roger Chawla, a member of this event organizing committee. A notable display in the lobby featured a poster with a photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and wife Coretta Scott King meeting a Sikh civil rights activist Jaswant Singh Dhami in Southall London, U.K. in 1965.
Dhami, the founder of the “Indian Workers Association” (IWA) Great Britain in 1958, to combat racial discrimination experienced by migrant workers of Indian and various other ethnicities in England, underscoring the shared struggle for justice and equality.
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