PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach State College on Thursday held a virtual awards ceremony in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
While the annual event looked different this year, the message remained the same, focusing on equality
Music and motivation are what made up Palm Beach State College’s 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.
“We must and we will continue to improve as a community," said Wendy Sartory Link, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.
“Words do matter and words are everlasting that the teachings and the great things that Dr. King said, they still have meaning today," said Ava L. Parker, J.D. the president of Palm Beach State College.
Themed “Activism, Advocacy and Allyship Toward Equality,” the virtual ceremony honored five leaders from around the community, along with Riviera Beach native and Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the NBCUniveral News Group Yvette Miley.
“There’s a commonality we all share. We are walking a different path, but totally connected by our shared desires for what is best for our families and our communities," Miley said.
Miley, who comes from a single-parent household, said at one point while attending the University of Florida, she was homeless.
“I was really felt like I didn’t belong and that there were not a lot of people who looked like me and that made me feel like an imposter," Miley said.
Miley credits a growth in confidence, connections, and perseverance for her 27-year career at NBC, giving the next generation some important advice.
“Understanding that there is a compass inside you that you must be connected with, like you got to believe it, but you also have to have done the work to get there," Miley said.