News - Valley to Honor Six Community Leaders for MLK Day

Valley to Honor Six Community Leaders for MLK Day

Six outstanding community members with extraordinary contributions to humankind in the areas of freedom, justice and democracy will be honored at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s MLK Day discussion luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 30 at its Texas Township Campus. Honorees range from a U.S. Attorney, YMCA CEO to racial equity change agents.

“The 2025 Kalamazoo Valley Community College Annual MLK Beyond the Dream Celebration – Protecting Freedom, Justice and Democracy” event is free, and the general public is invited. Each year, the college hosts a communitywide MLK Day program.

The honorees are:

  • Byron R. Foster, racial equity change agent
  • Gwendolyn L. Moore, community advocate & First Lady of Mt. Zion Baptist Church
  • Dave Morgan, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo
  • Marcy L. Peake, founder of The Center for Cultural Agility
  • Mark A. Trotten, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan
  • Jihan Ain Young, Portage City Council member

“In this world, at this time, at all times, honestly, it is essential to celebrate people who do their part to make our community a better place to live in,” said Trice Batson, Valley’s director of diversity and inclusion. “This is a feel-good event. We are honoring deserving unsung citizens in our community."

The program’s three-prong thematic focus was inspired by the official theme for 2025 set by The King Center (The Center for Nonviolent Social Change), which is “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.”

“Kalamazoo Valley’s event serves as an opportunity for the community to acknowledge the important work being done in social justice and inspire ongoing efforts towards equity and positive change in Kalamazoo,” Batson said.

Lunch is included. RSVPs are encouraged by Jan. 24 by signing up at https://bit.ly/KVMLK2025 for meal-planning purposes, but drop-ins are welcome.

In addition to the luncheon, Kalamazoo Valley is honoring Dr. King’s legacy through once again hosting a comprehensive webpage of 2025 MLK Day events and serving opportunities. Submit events at marketing@kvcc.edu.

Visit https://www.kvcc.edu/mlkday/ regularly to check for new events.