Author: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center

2025 Taste of Soul (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events ,

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the MLK, Jr. Community Center hosted the 3rd annual “Taste of Soul” Soul Food Cook-Off, highlighting the diversity of soul food cuisine in celebration of Black History Month.

Registered participants entered their best soul food dish for a chance to win first place in 4 categories, including meat, sides/appetizers, desserts, and vegan/vegetarian. Each dish was judged based on taste, appearance, and creativity. The “People’s Choice” award was given to the contestant with the best overall dish, determined by a collective vote from the community. 

Attendees enjoyed samples from each contestant along with raffles and prizes, free food and drinks, and live performances from R&B singer Reuben Lael. Jamie “Jazze” Maxie, On Air Personality and  Community Affairs Director for Radio One, served as Mistress of Ceremony.

Featured contestants included Juicy’s Soul Food & More!, 1Hand^, Belizean Jewels Island Flavors, Qu-Dee, Charmed By Missa, Charisweet, Fe’s Cake Shoppe, Nana Dot’s Southern Sweets, Soul of the Souf, BB’s Special, The Bayou Catering Co., Curated Cravings, Salads Mediterranean Style, Cooking With Friends, Gregory Green, Aaron Bacon III, Crystal Tyler, and Sammie Anderson.

Winners included Belizean Jewels Island Flavors (Meat); The Bayou Catering Co. (Sides/Appetizers); Charmed By Missa Vegan Cuisine (Vegan/Vegetarian); and Fe’s Cake Shoppe (Dessert). The People’s Choice winner was Juicy’s Soul Food & More!

Community Partners included the City of Dallas Office of Community Care, Dallas Park & Recreation, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Kroger, GEMS Camp, Empowering the Masses, World Vision, In the City For Good, Kroger, HELP, LIRA Group, DFW Voices for Education and Youth, Louisiana Hot Sauce, 97.9 the Beat, and Magic 94.5.

Special thanks to the MLK, Jr. Community Center Advisory Board, the judges, and our dedicated volunteers for their gracious support and commitment to the center.

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2025 MLK Celebration Week (Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

The City of Dallas hosted its 43rd annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from January 10-18, 2025, with a weeks’ worth of events highlighting issues of equity, diversity, and opportunity.
 
Events included a Candle Lighting Ceremony, hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter);MLK Fest hosted by The Walls Project, Epiphany, New Era, and the city of Dallas; MLK Scholarship & Awards Gala; Day of Reflection, Prayer, and Dedication; a Job Fair hosted by Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas; Multicultural Showcase hosted by the Youth Commission; Equity Indicators Symposium hosted by City of Dallas Offices’ of Equity & Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, and Office of Community Care and Empowerment; and the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade, hosted by HELP.
 
Sponsors included JBJ Management, Matthews, Russell, Renaissance Hotel, Arca Continental Coca Cola Southwest Beverages, State Fair of Texas, HEB, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, American Airlines, Comerica Bank, Dallas Love Field, Texas Capital Bank, Oncor, Dallas Mavericks, TXU Energy, and SMU.

Congratulations to our scholarship essay winners: 1st Place, Lukas Armendariz (Skyline High School); 2nd Place, Kendall Beavers (Woodrow Wilson High School); and 3rd Place, Brea Lusk (Yvonne E. Ewell Townview Center).​

Congratulations to our award winners: Miles of Freedom (Humanitarian Award); In the City For Good (Volunteer of the Year Award); DFW Voices for Education and Youth (Community Service Award); Empowering the Masses (Excellence Award-Nonprofit); Kroger (Excellence Award-Organization); HELP (Dream Forward Award-Nonprofit); Accident & Injury Chiropractic (Dream Forward Award-Organization); Deborah Sutton (Dream Forward Award-Individual); Terris Perkins, Jr. (Dream Forward Award-Individual); LIRA Group (Engagement Award-Nonprofit); Destiny’s Giving Hand, Inc. (Engagement Award-Nonprofit); World Vision (Engagement Award-Organization); and Bimbo Bakeries (Engagement Award-Organization).

Special thanks to the MLK Advisory Board; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter; James Madison High School JROTC; Imam Khalid Shaheed, Spiritual Director, Oakcliff E.C., Imam Emeritus, Masjid Al Islam; Rev. Leonard Johnson, Sr. Pastor, Progressive Baptist Church; Rev. Al Green, One Rugged Cross Church; Rev. Nucleus Johnson, Youth Pastor, St. Luke Community Methodist Church; Rev. Robert Estrada, New Image Temple; Rev. Sammy L. Berry, Pulpit Minister, Dallas West Church of Christ; Honorable Eric Johnson, Dallas Mayor; Lauren Cooper Mosely; Don Diego; Adronek Williams; Teresa Estrada; Steven Dial, WFAA; Rev. Nontombe Naomi Tutu; LIRA; and HELP.

Photo Courtesy of Dallas Police Department

Photo Courtesy of Five star Recycle Services, LLC

Photo Courtesy of City of Dallas Office of Equity and Inclusion

 

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2024 Winter Warmup Coat Drive & Distribution (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, December 21, 2024,  the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its annual Winter Warmup Coat Drive & Distribution, a community-based effort to provide new coats, hats, and gloves to children and families in need.

There were 245 registered families and over 800 children who participated in the drive-through distribution. 

Community Partners included LIRA, HELP, Terris Perkins, Jr., Empowering the Masses, Miles of Freedom, Carter’s House, CBRE,  Green Careers Dallas, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter), In the City for Good, Southwest Transplant Alliance, IDK Foundation, National Black MBA Association, Transportation Unlimited, White Harvest Foundation, Deborah Sutton, Eunice Rodgers, and Westrock.

2024 MLK Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, November 23, 2024, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its annual MLK Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway to provide Thanksgiving meals to over 500 families in need.

Registered guests participated in the drive-through distribution receiving a turkey and chicken, along with vegetables, bread, eggs, and more, for a complete holiday meal. Additional guests received turkeys, hygiene bags, and more.

This was a collaboration between the City of Dallas Office of Community Care, HELP, LIRA, Empowering the Masses, Miles of Freedom, Family Care Connection, Carter’s House, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (Kappa Zeta Chapter), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter), Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, JBJ Management, Kroger,  Accident & Injury Chiropractic, Hiland Dairy, Packing House Market, Cummins, The Richards Group, Reliant, The Giving Tree Ministries, White Harvest Foundation DBA Storehouse 3:10, Stephen Foster, and Terris Perkins, Jr.

Special thanks to our volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to serving the community. We could not do it without you!

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2024 Hispanic Heritage Festival (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events ,

On Saturday, October 5, 2024, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its 3rd Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Attendees enjoyed local vendors, live entertainment, free food from In-N-Out Burger, fun giveaways, and more. Special guests included Councilman Adam Bazaldua (District 7); Master of Ceremony, Ruben Shelton; and students from Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep.

Community Partners included LIRA Group, HELP, Dallas Public Library, Dallas Park and Recreation, World Vision, DFW Voices for Education & Youth, In the City for Good, and Hiland Dairy.

    

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2024 MLK Back to School Festival (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, August 10, 2024, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted its annual MLK Back to School Festival, an event for students and families to receive free backpacks, school supplies, and other essential items for the new school year.

More than 30 community partners participated in the drive-through festival, distributing supplies to 350+ families and 1,542 students. 

Community Partners included LIRA Group; HELP; Peter & Dena Silberman; The Richards Group; Empowering the Masses; Cummins; Enterprise; SubroSmart; The IDK Foundation; Reliant NRG; City of Dallas Office of Environmental Quality & Sustainability; CBRE; City of Dallas Environmental Education Initiative; City of Dallas Office of Community Police Oversight; MLK, Jr. Branch Library; Dallas Park & Recreation; Atmos Energy; Miles of Freedom; In the City For Good; The Family Place; Encore; DFW Alliance of Black Accountants; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter); Queen Nefertari #1 Order of the Eastern Star; State Fair of Texas; C5; Benchmark Bank; White Harvest Foundation; Dallas College; Empowerment Services; and Texas Freedom Network. Kona Ice was provided by Reliant. 

Special thanks to our volunteers for their time and dedication to serving the community!

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2024 Journey, Next Steps (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, July 13, 2024, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, in collaboration with LIRA Group, hosted Journey, Next Steps, a college readiness program for graduating high school seniors.

A group of 25 students were selected to participate in the program, which offers life skills, college tours, summer internship opportunities, and a college starter kit providing everything students need to start their college journey. Upon completion of the program, students were gifted new laptops, refrigerators, microwaves, bedding, toiletries, and more in preparation for their freshman year of college.

Sponsors included Vistra, In the City for Good, State Fair of Texas, Vista Bank, Women of Pearls Community Action Foundation, Terris Perkins, Jr., Oncor, and the City of Dallas Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center.

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2024 Community Day of Giving (Event Recap)

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Events

On Saturday, June 22, 2024, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center hosted Community Day of Giving in collaboration with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). This event was a community-driven effort to provide food, household items, and support to those in need while celebrating and acknowledging the historical significance of Juneteenth.  

Community Partners included City of Dallas, Dairy Farmers of America, Kroger, LIRA Group, HELP, Treehouse, Tenet Health, United Surgical Partners, Conifer Health Solutions, Miles of Freedom, Kroger, Pizza Hut, and Storehouse 3:10.

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