Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
MLK Memorial Breakfast Celebration
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” Martin Luther King Jr.
For more information contact the church at 508-626-2118.
This is an Hybrid event - January 19, 2026
IN PERSON: DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 AM NETWORKING & HOT BREAKFAST
8:00 AM - 8:45 AM
Register for the Virtual Celebration!
Download the MLK Celebration Poster
Register for the In-Person Celebration!
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Keynote Speaker
Ms. Tanisha M. Sullivan, Esq. is an award winning civic, legal, and business leader with over 25 years of experience across the life sciences ecosystem. As Head of External Engagement and Health Equity Strategy Ms. Sullivan’s portfolio includes the US health equity strategy, and executive engagement and government relations for Massachusetts. Tanisha began her career working with global firms in Boston and New York. Prior to her current position Tanisha held several legal leadership roles within Sanofi including, Associate General Counsel and Legal Head of Manufacturing and Supply for Global Specialty Care and Sanofi US and Head of Legal for Quality. Committed to public service, from 2013- 2015, Ms. Sullivan took a sabbatical from law to serve in a cabinet level position within the Boston Public Schools as the district’s inaugural Chief Equity Officer, and she currently serves as a guest lecturer at Boston University Wheelock College of Education. Her steadfast commitment to advancing public policy solutions designed to help improve quality of life for all people has earned Ms. Sullivan a reputation as an innovative, bold, people focused, and outcomes-driven leader.
With deep belief in the power of grassroots solutioning to address complex societal challenges, Ms. Sullivan has over two decades of experience in volunteer leadership roles with non-profit organizations. Notably through her civic leadership, she led the creation of the nationally recognized Take the Lead initiative, an innovative anti-racism campaign created in collaboration with several professional sports organizations; co-designed the framework for the Boston Office of Police Accountability and Transparency; and launched The State of Race with GBH, a news series highlighting the issues impacting communities of color and the solutions that are making a difference. Ms. Sullivan served four terms as President, NAACP Boston, and in 2023 was elected to serve as President, NAACP New England Area Conference covering Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
A non-partisan leader, Tanisha has served as an advisor to two Governors. After serving as a member of Governor Charlie Baker’s Black Empowerment Commission, in 2023 Ms. Sullivan was appointed to chair Governor Maura Healey’s Governor’s Advisory Council on Black Empowerment. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Boston College Law School Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy, and during the COVID-19 public health pandemic Ms. Sullivan was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh to serve on several public health task forces at the state and municipal levels.
Ms. Sullivan served as a host for Basic Black, the longest running program on public television focused on the Black community, and comments for major media outlets including The Boston Globe, The Baystate Banner, NPR Boston, WCVB, NECN, CBS Boston, and NBC10.
The recipient of several civic, legal and business honors, Ms. Sullivan has been recognized as a member of the BBJ 40 under 40, BBJ Power 50, and Boston Magazine 100 Most Influential Bostonians, BLOC 100 Most Impactful Leaders in BioPharma. She’s also been recognized as Boston College Law School Alumna of the Year, Mass Black Lawyers Association Trailblazer, Mass Black Women Attorneys Trailblazer, Girl Scouts of Eastern MA Leading Woman, and Thayer Academy Humanitarian of the Year, among other notable recognitions.
Ms. Sullivan earned a B.A. in Government from the University of Virginia, a J.D. from Boston College Law School, an M.B.A. from the Boston College Carroll School of Management, and Executive Leadership certificates from Harvard Business School.
Singer
Dr. Michelle Brooks-Thompson is a Grammy-nominated independent recording artist and former finalist from Season 3 of NBC's The Voice. She earned the title of Grand Champion at Amateur Night at the Apollo in 2017 and has triumphed in over 21 vocal competitions, establishing herself as a dynamic powerhouse vocalist.
Known for her powerful renditions of the National Anthem, Michelle has performed at major sporting events across the NBA, NFL, and MLB, receiving accolades for her heartfelt performances. She was honored with a citation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for her rendition at the Massachusetts State House during the 1st Annual Massachusetts Military Appreciation Day in May 2025. She served as the National Anthem singer for the Boston Celtics for over 11 years, and has served as the National Anthem singer for the new Professional Women’s Hockey Team Boston Fleet.
Her music spans multiple genres, including Gospel, Smooth Jazz, and R&B, with notable releases such as the Grammy-nominated single "The Fury’s Blues" (2025), "Never Give Up" (2022), and "Woman First" (2021). Her work has achieved chart success on various billboards both nationally and internationally.
Michelle has earned numerous accolades throughout her career, including a nomination for the Better Business Bureau Emerging Leader Award in 2025, highlighting her achievements as a Small Business Owner. In addition, she won Best Soul and Inspirational Artist of the Year at the 56th Annual GBOS Celebration Gala in 2024 (Boston). Her song "Never Give Up" was recognized for Best Gospel Song Performance on the first-round ballot for the Dove Awards and Grammy Awards in 2022. Additionally, she received four nominations at the Dunmas Gospel Awards and was recognized as National Female Soloist of the Year at the Texas Gospel Music Excellence Awards. She’s been nominated and the winner of several other music awards.
In recognition of her community service, Michelle was awarded the 2023 Black in Excellence on the Hill Award by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, and the Community Leadership Award by the New Year Better Us Organization. She also received a citation from Mayor William C. Reichelt of West Springfield for her outstanding contributions to music in June 2024. In June 2022, Michelle was awarded the Community Impact Award for Outstanding Gospel Vocalist and Artist Spotlight Award by FPAD non- profit organization (Conyers, GA).
Michelle holds an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities from United College and Seminary International, awarded in July 2025. She is a private vocal teacher and is actively involved in her community. She serves as the worship leader for Red Oak Church (West Springfield, MA) and is the founder of the nonprofit Heart of the Earth. For more information, please visit her website: www.michellebrooksthompsonmusic.com.
Artist
Rob Surette is one of the top artists in the world today as well as a prominent humanitarian. He has appeared on: The Oprah Winfrey Show, The TODAY Show twice, Good Morning America twice, and The Tonight Show! He is a Top-Tier Master Fine Artist for: Disney, Lucasfilm, DC Comics, DreamWorks and Muppets!
Feel free to visit him on the web at: AmazingHeroArt.com and www.facebook.com/
Young Adult Professional
Shawn Thornhill is an aspiring Structural Engineer from Natick, MA. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University in May 2025, graduating summa cum laude. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Northeastern, with an expected graduation in May 2026.
During his undergraduate studies, Shawn completed three six-month co-ops. At DN Tanks in Wakefield, MA, he designed concrete water tanks. At L.A. Fuess Partners in Dallas, TX, he contributed to the design of a variety of structures, including a high school, an indoor stadium, and a car dealership. His final co-op was with Thornton Tomasetti in Boston, MA, where he worked on several projects at Logan International Airport, most notably Terminal E.
While at Northeastern University, Shawn served as the Pre-Collegiate Initiative Chair for the Black Engineering Student Society. In this role, he developed and led programs introducing Boston Public School students to opportunities in STEM. Partnering with iRobot, he designed and ran an eight-week virtual summer program for students in grades 3–12, exposing them to software engineering, coding, robotics, and problem-solving. The program’s success inspired him to organize and lead bi-weekly coding sessions throughout the following academic year.
Shawn also engaged in academic research on sustainable structures and disaster resilience, reflecting his commitment to addressing real-world challenges through engineering. Working with Dr. Hajjar and Dr. Sasani, he contributed to studies on earthquake-resistant structural design and hurricane risk analysis, both of which disproportionately affect minority communities, with the goal of developing safer and more resilient infrastructure.
Outside of community service and engineering, Shawn enjoys remaining active by playing soccer and training for a marathon.
Youth Presenter
Kelsie Barrack-Anidi is 16 years old, born and raised in Framingham, MA, and attends Greater Framingham Community Church weekly as an occasional youth usher and a member of the teen ministry. She is a junior at the Noble and Greenough School located in Dedham, MA and is a member of the varsity Track and Field Program.
Her extracurriculars include club and school Track, volunteering at her schools Achieve tutoring program, Tour Guiding at school, and English Language Tutoring for Ukrainian students. Additionally she is a member of her schools Black Student Union and Women of Color affinity groups. She attends the clubs: Women in Medicine, Robotics, and Women in STEM. She has received two All-ISL Honorable mentions during her time on the track team, and ran the anchor leg of her schools 4x400 meter record.
She has also volunteered at the First Baptist Church in Sudbury during their Vacation Bible Adventure weeks, and for the past two summers has worked as a camp counselor at the Druker School of Basketball in Framingham. She plans to attend college to pursue her dream of being a psychiatrist. Additionally, she is enjoys reading, listening to music and spending time with her close friends and family.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Conference 2026
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