Orlando holds first in-person 'Pappy' Kennedy MLK Day prayer breakfast since start of COVID-19 pandemic
ORLANDO, Fla. - The City of Orlando held its first in-person Arthur "Pappy" Kennedy Annual Prayer Breakfast for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic on Monday.
The annual event honors the legacies of civil rights pioneers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Arthur "Pappy" Kennedy, Orlando’s first African American City Council Member, elected to office in 1972. This year marked the 32nd year for the prayer breakfast.
It is held on MLK Day and brings together more than 1,000 civic leaders, pastors, and Central Florida neighbors with the goal to strengthen the community. For the last two years, the breakfast was held virtually.
During the event, the Southwest Orlando Jaycees, the City of Orlando MLK Commission, and the YMCA of Central Florida continued their tradition of awarding scholarships to eight local high school students, designed to assist minority high school seniors who are planning to attend an accredited post-secondary institution in the fall of 2023.
Former Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins served as this year’s keynote speaker. Other notable attendees include Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.