The Center for Black Culture will host the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday (Jan. 17) in the Mountainlair Ballroom.
Jack S. Monell, professor of justice studies at Winston-Salem State University, will be the keynote speaker. Monell is a distinguished academic and practitioner with more than 31 years of experience in social work, criminal justice, sociology and human services.
Read more about the keynote speaker.
Sharon Smith Banks, a Nashville native who retired in June 2021 after a distinguished career as the director of advisement programs and adjunct professor of speech communications at West Virginia State University, will be presented with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award.
Banks formerly served as chair of the West Virginia State University Staff Council and as a member of the University’s Board of Governors.
Over the years, she has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Martin Luther King Jr. "Sharing of Self" and "Humanitarian" awards, West Virginia Women’s Commission Helaine Rotgin – Mountaineer Spirit Award, and the Unsung Hero Award from the Pittsburgh–West Virginia Conference Lay Organization, among others.
Banks is also a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where she has served in numerous leadership role.
The recipients of the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship will also be recognized for their commitment to human rights, civil rights and social justice.