Dr. Joyce Ladner, a civil rights icon will be in Fort Lauderdale for MLK Day '26.
Credit: YMCA of South Florida
One of the most influential voices of the American civil rights movement is heading to Broward County this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The YMCA of South Florida is hosting Dr. Joyce Ladner as the keynote speaker for its 22nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Inspirational Celebrations, anchoring a powerful week of events focused on service, leadership and community impact.
Dr. Ladner is a true historian of the movement. A civil rights activist from Mississippi, she was on the front lines of landmark protests in Selma and Greenwood and worked directly on the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. She stood on stage when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, making her connection to King’s legacy deeply personal and profoundly rare. Her career later expanded into academia and public service, including leadership roles at Howard University and a presidential appointment to help stabilize Washington, D.C.’s finances.
In Broward, the spotlight is on the Inspirational Breakfast in Fort Lauderdale, presented by JM Family Enterprises and taking place at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, January 16. The breakfast benefits the YMCA’s “I Have a Dream” Youth Scholarship Fund, which supports students from preschool through college, helping turn potential into opportunity. Proceeds also help fund youth leadership initiatives and community programs throughout South Florida.
During the event, led by master of ceremonies Calvin Hughes with WPLG Local 10 News, the YMCA will also recognize local changemakers with its Dave W. Cash Youth Leadership Award and Spirit of Community Award. The awards honor students and advocates who embody Dr. King’s ideals of service and social progress.
Following the Fort Lauderdale breakfast, Dr. Ladner will deliver a second keynote at the Inspirational Luncheon later that day in Miami, before the celebrations conclude with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday.
For tickets and full details on the Fort Lauderdale and Miami events on and beyond MLK Day ‘26, visit ymcasouthflorida.org/standforsomething.
