Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission Renews Call for “Beloved Community”

DATE & TIME: Monday January 19, 2026 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

LOCATION: Kodak Hall at the Eastman School of Music | 26 Gibbs Street, Rochester

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW: Simeon Banister | MLK Commission President | President & CEO, Rochester Area Community Foundation

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Nikia Washington | nwashington@racf.org or 585.341.4376 | MLK Commission Coordinator | Equity Program Officer, Rochester Area Community Foundation

DETAILS: The Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission presents a community-wide celebration at Kodak Hall at the Eastman School of Music to honor the ongoing legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. The event is free and open to all ages.

The year’s theme is "From Me to We: Changing Our Souls, Creating Beloved Community," inspired by Dr. King's iconic quote: "Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.”

The Keynote speaker is Reverend Courtney Clayton Jenkins, senior pastor and teacher at South Euclid United Church of Christ in Ohio. A published author who has been named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business “Forty Under 40,” Rev. Jenkins represents a new generation of bold pastoral leadership reimagining the church for a changing world.

The program includes remarks by Mayor Malik Evans, County Executive Adam J. Bello, Simeon Banister, and Rashaad Parker, as well as performances by MLK Community Choir, ROCmusic youth ensemble, and Taryn Highsmith.

About the Greater Rochester Martin Luther King Jr. Commission

The Commission, founded in 1985, is the official body charged with the recognition of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Rochester area.