TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa Bay Organization of Black Affairs is gearing up for the 44th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leadership breakfast.

For the past 44 years, TOBA’s MLK Leadership Breakfast has launched each new year with a renewed push to continue fighting for Dr. King’s dream of equality for everyone. Each year, TOBA picks two members from their leadership institute to lead the breakfast.

One of the co-hosts is Briyanna Pierce. Pierce is a Tampa native and a first-generation college graduate who said leading the breakfast is a dream come true.

“Growing up, I always knew there was more to life even though I couldn’t see it, and I knew I didn’t want my siblings to come up and not have a different sense of reality,” Pierce said.

Over the past year, Pierce has been a part of TOBA’s leadership institute, which mentors and prepares Black leaders in our community. She will take the stage with co-host and army veteran Ameyon Hawkins.

James Ransom, a board member for TOBA, has been involved in the organization since its inception. He believes organizations like TOBA are vital for the minority community.

“It helps to accelerate the growth and development, not only in business and career but also in the quality of life and the standards we want to enjoy in our community,” Ransom said.

TOBA’s keynote speaker this year is Dr. Cynthia Butler-McIntyre of Louisiana. Butler-McIntyre is the past International President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. TOBA will also honor an unsung hero and a corporate organization that reflects Dr. King’s values.

Four scholarships will be given to minority students on Monday. In 44 years, TOBA has given nearly $300,000 in scholarships to minority students. Pierce believes the breakfast will give the community hope.

“Reading books from Alexander Tocqueville’s Democracy in America that was written in 1833 and it’s still prevalent in 2023 that hurts my heart,” Pierce said. “TOBA gave me a lot of hope. There is hope for change, there are people who feel the same way I do about the advancement of the black community and want to pour into the next generation.”

Ransom agrees with Pierce.

“In 1979 there was no national holiday for Dr. King’s birthday, so in 1980 we started at 6:45 in the morning just like we do now even though it’s a national holiday now,” Ransom said. “It’s a small sacrifice compared to Dr. King and others giving their lives up so we can have more freedom to do what other Americans do in the country.”

The breakfast in Monday at 6:45 a.m. at the Water Street Marriott Hotel.