photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

A photo of the late-Martin Luther King, Jr. is shown on a large video board at the 17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfast on Jan. 15, 2024 at Maceli's Banquet Hall in downtown Lawrence.

The Jayhawk Breakfast Rotary Club will host Lawrence’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast next Monday, and a scholar who’s researched Black leadership and civic engagement in Kansas will be the keynote speaker.

The breakfast is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire St., and is meant to be “a space for meaningful conversation, shared learning and community connection,” according to a news release from the Rotary Club.

Deborah Dandridge, who has worked as a field archivist and curator of the African American Experience Collections in the University of Kansas’ Kenneth Spencer Research Library, will be the featured speaker. Her talk is titled “Looking Back to Move Forward: A History of African American Civic Engagement Work in Kansas,” and the release said it will draws on her decades of research and community-based work and “highlight stories of leadership, resilience and civic involvement that have shaped communities across the state.”

Vocalist Vanessa Thomas will perform at the breakfast, as well.

Tickets are $15 per person and may be purchased in advance or at the door. Advance tickets are available at: https://macelisonline.com/collections/upcoming-events/products/1-19-2026-mlk-jr-breakfast.