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Poet Laureate Speaks at Packed Unity Breakfast; Award Given to Group Monitoring Immigrant Enforcement

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Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson recited several of his poems at the 2026 Unity Breakfast. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Massachusetts’ Poet Laureate inspired the crowd at the 26th annual Unity Breakfast. During the event on Monday, awards were presented to a group monitoring immigration enforcement and supporting immigrants rights in Watertown, and a man who has been a big part of keeping the Unity Breakfast going through the Pandemic. The Unity Award at the 2006 Watertown Unity Breakfast went to the Rapid Response Network, while the Sue Kuder Unsung Hero Award went to Chuck Dickinson. Poet Laureate

Before the presentation of the awards, Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Regie Gibson, recited several of his pieces related to Dr. King and the struggles of today.

Around Town

Join the Community Read of Works by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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The Community Read: Works by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 at the Watertown Free Public Library. See the announcement provided by the Unity Breakfast organizers. Please join us for a Community Read on Sunday, January 11 from 2:00-3:30 in the MasterangeloRoom of Watertown Public Library. Together we will be reading aloud a work by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and discussing its message and relevance for today.

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Reserve Now for the 26th Annual Watertown Unity Breakfast

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The 26th annual Watertown Unity Breakfast will be on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026, and tickets are now available. See more details provided by the World in Watertown, below. World in Watertown is thrilled to invite you to the 26th annual Watertown Unity Breakfast on January 19, 2026 from 8:30-11 a.m.

Join us in person at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Ave, Watertown. Get your ticket at https://watertownunitybreakfast.eventbrite.com

A hot breakfast from Wicked Bagel will be served at 8:30 am followed by music, roundtable conversations, student essays, and the presentation of the Unity Award. Every year, the community in Watertown, Massachusetts, comes together on Martin Luther King Day to honor his life and civil rights legacy by recommitting to foundational principles of racial, social, and economic justice.

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Call for Nominations: Unity Award Continues Long Tradition of Honoring Watertown’s Unsung Heroes

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Charlie BreitroseA mural created by Watertown High School students for the 20th annual Unity Breakfast. World in Watertown announced it is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Unity Award, presented each year at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Unity Breakfast to recognize individuals or groups making significant contributions to civic life in Watertown. Nominations remain open through Nov. 30, 2025. Residents are encouraged to put forward the names of community members whose efforts embody MLK Jr’;s dream of a just, equitable, and inclusive society, while contributing to the Watertown community.

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Nominations Wanted for the 2026 Unity Award

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Charlie BreitroseA closeup of the section of the Kingian Nonviolence Mural featuring Martin Luther King. The following announcement was provided by the World in Watertown:

Presented by World in Watertown, the UNITY AWARD is given each year at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Unity Breakfast to recognize individuals or groups who are making significant contributions to civic life in Watertown. Who in Watertown is putting Dr. King’s vision into action? Nominate them for the Unity Award! Perhaps your hero is an individual, or a group who have worked hard to make our community more welcoming and inclusive, who demonstrate a commitment to the foundational principles of racial, social, and economic justice, and who strive to achieve fair and equal treatment for all who live or work in Watertown?

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Police Chief Makes Statement on Immigration Policy, Housing Group Honored at 25th Annual Watertown Unity Breakfast

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The Watertown Unity Breakfast celebrated 25 years in 2025. The wood disc was used during the table discussions about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Principles of Nonviolence. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Nearly 500 people packed the Hellenic Center for the 25th annual Watertown Unity Breakfast, a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. During the event, a group that advocates for affordable housing was honored, and Watertown’s Police Chief made a statement about the WPD’s stance on enforcing federal immigration policy. Monday’s Unity Breakfast, organized by World in Watertown, was the first one held in person since the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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25th Watertown Unity Breakfast to be Held on MLK Day, Start Pushed Back

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UPDATE (Jan. 19, 4 p.m.) Organizers of Watertown’s MLK Unity Breakfast announced that Monday’s event is still on, but the start time is being delayed one hour so people have time to dig out from Sunday’s snowstorm. The breakfast is now at 9:30 a,m. and the program will start at 10 a.m.

The following announcement was provided by the World in Watertown:

World in Watertown is thrilled to invite you to the 25th annual Watertown Unity Breakfast on January 20, 2025 from 8:30-11 a.m.! 

This year will be in-person at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Ave., Watertown. A hot breakfast from Wicked Bagel will be served at 8:30 a.m. followed by music, roundtable conversations, student essays, and the presentation of the Unity Award.