32nd Annual MLKJ Scholarship Breakfast

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The 32nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund Prayer Breakfast was held at the North Terrace Church of Christ. 

The event honors the legacy of the fallen civil rights leader by awarding scholarships to the area’s hardest working minority high school students. 

“Dr. King’s legacy is multifaceted, which means there’s many aspects of it. And we believe strongly that this… how would you say, this investment in education is paramount to the foundation of students in the future. But the prayer breakfast in and of itself is a statement in our community to let these students know that they are valued and they are important and also we hope they make a contribution beyond themselves as well,” Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Committee Co-Chair Philip Tabler said.

King earned a Bachelor’s of Divinity degree before attaining a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology, which validates his titles of Reverend and Doctor. 

“Dr. King was obviously a promoter of social justice and the opportunity of equality as well as the intellectual factors that establish a strong foundation for a strong community,” Tabler said. “And we believe by investing in these students we’re allowing for that to happen. We need to understand that there’s several aspects to what this legacy means. And this is a portion of what we’re trying to create in this environment. To allow families, schools and the whole community to participate in something great and beyond themselves.”

This year, the Animal Shelter Society was awarded the 2026 MLKJ Award for their efforts of honoring Dr. King’s legacy through their dedication to providing the area’s homeless pets a second chance.