Article by Mina Rose Morales.

WATERTOWN –The Watertown community celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day at its 26^th Annual Unity Breakfast, embracing a message of hope and unity despite current local and national challenges.

Newly elected City Council Member Theophilus Offei hosted the event and highlighted Watertown’s rich diversity and commitment to welcoming all people. He reminded the audience that he’s a black immigrant and that there’s nowhere he’d rather live at this moment than Watertown.

“The Unity breakfast is not just about remembrance, it’s about reflection and more importantly recommitment, recommitment to justice that is active not passive, to unity that is practiced not just proclaimed, and to the belief that our diversity is not a weakness but a source of strength,” affirmed Offei.

Regie Gibson, Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, performed three poetry pieces beginning with his letter to Dr. King and other pieces sharing his perspective on philosophy, immigration, democracy, and unity. Margaret Kiwanuka-Woernle and Nnamdi Okaka, from the Watertown Public Schools Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Department, along with Watertown students, facilitated one of the main program highlights of this year’s breakfast. They led discussion circles on King’s Six Principles of Nonviolent Conflict Resolution, principles which are embedded in the Watertown public school curriculum to help students solve conflicts peacefully.

Many awards were presented to community members for their contributions. Chuck Dickinson, a dedicated community advocate, especially for immigrant rights, was the recipient of the Sue Kuder Unsung Hero Award. The Watertown Rapid Response Network, also a champion for immigrant rights, accepted the 2026 Unity Award. The winners of the MLK essay contest were high school student Liam Rodriguez and middle school student London Kohler out of more than 250 middle and high school students.

 “Essays this year dealt with a range of topics, grappling with the painful stories of the Tulsa Massacre and Japanese American incarceration as well as [other] inspirational stories,” said David Bedar, the Watertown Public Schools Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator.

The morning finished with choir performances by Watertown students singing “Lift Every Voice & Sing” and “We Shall Not Be Moved,” led by Richard Saunders, the Watertown Public Schools Fine and Applied Performing Arts Coordinator.”

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