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LA Fed goes ‘Back to our Roots’ to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with MLK Day Breakfast and Parade

01.30.26

The Annual MLK Breakfast, a cherished tradition of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, is a significant event that honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This year’s theme, Back to Our Roots, was inspired by our Federation’s recent journey through Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham. We walked the Edmund Pettus Bridge, visited the Legacy Museum, and met with Bryan Stevenson. These experiences reminded us that the lessons of the past should guide our future.

We were honored to feature remarks from AFGE President Everett Kelley, Actor/Producer and SAG-AFTRA member, Jason George, as well as this year’s Shero Awardee, Charisse Bremond-Weaver, President and CEO of Brotherhood Crusade.

This year’s MLK Breakfast coincided with the anniversary of the Los Angeles wildfires. Stories of union members impacted by the fires were highlighted, and we paid tribute to our brave firefighters, represented by Bryan Rice, President of California Professional Firefighters, Frank Lima, General Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Firefighters, and Dave Gilotte, President of Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014, for their efforts and sacrifices.

This year’s Torch Award was presented to Captain Robert Hawkins, LAFD Fire Captain & President, Los Angeles City Stentorians, by wildfire survivors Jacque Robinson-Baisley and Marcus Baisley, a union representative with AFSCME District Council 36.

Thank you to the generous sponsors of this year’s event: Airbnb, SEIU Local 2015, SoCalGas, SEIU Local 721, UDW AFSCME Local 3930, UFCW 770, AFSCME UNAC/UHCP, California Nurses Association (CNA), IBEW Local 1, IBEW Local 18, SEIU Local 99, SEIU-UHW, and United Way Greater Los Angeles. Photos from this year’s event are available below.