The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The dream of the late Dr. Martin Luther King is not a “relic to be remembered,” but a “living legacy to be realized,” hundreds of attendees at the annual Franklin Township Community Breakfast were told at the January 19 event.
The main ballroom at the Double Tree Hotel was packed for the annual event sponsored by the Franklin Township Dr. Martin Luther King Community Foundation.
The Foundation awards scholarships to Franklin Township seniors; the Community Breakfast is the Foundation’s primary fundraising event.
The morning featured performances by the Franklin High School Madrigals, the Franklin Community Band, individual singers, as well as dramatic readings and the keynote speech by Somerset County Commission Director Shanel Robinson.
King’s legacy, Robinson told the crowd, “calls to us across the decades, asking not what we will commemorate, but what we will create, not what we will honor in speeches, but what we will build through service.”
At the threshold of celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary, Robinson said, “we find ourselves at a remarkable intersection of reflecting on our history and hope for our future.”
“As we celebrate two anniversaries and one vision, in 1776, this country’s founding fathers declared that all men are created equal, she said. “Yet, as Dr. King powerfully reminded us nearly two centuries later, America had written a promissory note to its citizens, a promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that had come back marked insufficient funds for too many of its people. As we approach the 250th celebration of this nation, we must be reminded that the work is still the work and there is much work to do.”
King’s dream, she said, “was never just about the absence of discrimination. It was about the presence of opportunity. It was about the children being judged by the content of their character. It was about justice rolling down like waters.”
As a public official, Robinson said, “it pains me that yet in 2026, the dream is yet to be lived. And that we’re fighting to live the dream.”
“As the Commission Director, I see this work as a sacred trust,” she said. “One that connects us both to revolutionary history of our past and an unrealized future. Keeping Dr. King’s dream alive means ensuring economic justice. That every family has access not only to good-paying jobs but livable wages and affordable housing. It means educational equity, guaranteeing that every child has excellent schools regardless of their zip code.”
“It means healthcare access, environmental justice in our most vulnerable communities, and a criminal justice that is truly just,” she said.
“In Somerset County and across this nation, we are the custodians of both legacies,” Robinson said. “The revolutionary promise of 1776 and the redemptive vision of the Civil Rights Movement.”
“This means that having difficult conversations about race, equity, and opportunity,” she said. “It means listening to communities who have been marginalized, it means being bold in our policies and unwavering in our commitment to justice.”
“But it also means coming together,” she said. “Dr. King’s dream was about unity. Not a unity that ignores difference, but one that celebrates our common humanity and shared destiny.”
“Let us collaborate knowing the challenges we face are too great to solve alone,” Robinson said. “And let us be hopeful because Dr. King faced darkness far deeper than what we’re facing now or that we’re encountering today. Yet, he never lost hope.”
FHS student Elimary Mendoza sang the “Star-Spangled Banner,” FHS student Kaleigh-jenne Welsh sang, “Feeling Good,” FHS student Richard Smallwood sang “Total Praise,” FHS students Anthoneuy Holley and Abigail Balda sang, “When You’re Home,” and FHS student Myles Cherette sand, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
There was also a presentation by the New Jersey Orators’ Karinne Hill, and an original poem recited by Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street campus student Jonah Mosley-Aviles.
The Invocation was given by Fr. Tom Lanza of St. Matthias Church, and the Benediction by the Rev. George Montanari of Somerset Reformed Church.
Rabbi Eli Garfinkel of Temple Beth El gave the Offertory and Dedication.
Garfinkel noted that in the 29 years of its existence, the Foundation has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to more than 250 students.
In 2025, 14 students received $26,000 in scholarships, doubling the 2024 amount, Garfinkel said.
The FTPD Honor Guard presented the colors, and the official greeting was given by Foundation Trustee Bill Grippo.
The event was hosted by Foundation president Sean Hebbon.
Scholarships are awarded to high school students from Franklin who are candidates at an accredited college or professional school, have demonstrated a record of community involvement and volunteerism, and have shown outstanding citizenship within their school and community.
The 2026 King Scholars are:
Franklin High School
- Sarai Styles
- Diya Patel
- Myles Cherette
- Elangkathir Elamaran
Central Jersey College Prep Charter School
- Aaryan Brahmbhatt
- Nyla Gilbert
- Saanvi Yalamanchili
- Inshera Prempeh
- Ava Anyanwu
- Areej Idris
Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School
- Mahek Khan
- Latif Tabanli
- Jemuel Oppong
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