Largest Peace Breakfast in the Country

I spent the most amazing holiday morning in memory. My sister called from work at 10TV at six ten a.m. to ask me how my timing was. Naturally, I said, “Great! What’s Up ?” ‘Mom is on her way into the Columbus Convention Center for the 25th Annual Commemorative Breakfast, ‘meet her there ‘, said Sherri Robinson, my sister.’ “Okay, I said, I’ll do my best ?.” Fifty minutes later at seven a.m., I arrived to our landmark Columbus Convention Center. The Columbus Convention Center, the single largest space under one roof in the region, is an awesome facility for our community to be most proud of.
At seven am on their day off, more than 4,000 members of our community arrived for breakfast with their neighbors in our community to hear choirs, mimes, and dignitaries from all over the United States. The 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Breakfast was well underway. The Battelle Grand Ball room was christened with this one of a kind event. The largest commemorative celebration for peace in the United States of America, celebrating the message of the three P’s: “Peace, Pigmentation, and Poverty. Right here on High Street in our community, this state of the art Ball Room can easily fit, 4,000 people for full meals, or 10,000 for dancing and reception. Digital screens, professional digital sound and lighting, white glass illuminated dais, white glass 240 degree balcony was opened just this morning for this one of a kind event produced by Bert Castle and Dorothy Alexander.
Ohio State University was well represented and mentioned on the dais, no less than three times by the event’s founder, Dr. Amos H. Lynch Sr.(the godfather of on the ground journalism in Columbus, Ohio), the Master of Ceremonies, Jerry Revish, 10 TV (co-MC Tracy Townsend, 10TV), , and the Keynote Speaker, Dr. William J. Shaw (past President of the National Baptist Conference). Many members of our Ohio State Community, students, professors, and staff members in attendance, on their morning off from classes; from all religious backgrounds, various countries of origin, and many women leaders were represented as well. Rabbi Idit Jacques (female) gave the Blessing of the meal in Hebrew from the Torah and English, the Rev. Leon Troy, Sr. gave the Invocation, and Lama Kathleen Wesley gave the Benediction, culminating the event with the most diverse crowd in the 25 year history of the Commemorative Breakfast.
The students ran the show from fifth grade to Universities around the country, singing, speaking from the dais, miming, and sign language interpretation; the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Shaw, acknowledged our students as , “I defer to the real keynote speakers, the students, I am only here as a speaker.” Our students collectively represented 35% of the audience, and represent the best of the best for our future as Americans.
The climactic moment occurred as the Commemorative Choir, more than 200 voices, sang Yolanda Adams’, ”NEVER GIVE UP” Directed by Joyce McKinley-Robinson, accompanied by Bobby Floyd, Keyboard and Reggie Jackson, Drums. The Columbus Children’ Choir (Dr. Sandra Mathias), led the song backed up by the Adult, Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Choir. 50% of the voices are under 21 years of age and sang as professionally as any show you can see on a road tour. The students from all ethnic origins display the best of our future American Community.
We have come a long way as a country, through crisis, war, protest, and mass layoffs. We have a long way to go, and as Mayor Michael B. Coleman stated, ‘I invite every one of you to make a difference today. 4 pm today at City Hall we are raising awareness and finances for Haitian Relief, during our annual march across Broad Street. This Thursday all competitive media outlets in the region are coming out to team up to raise funds for Haitian Relief. Let our Columbus community bring our resources together and Let’s Make a difference today!’