Before the Dream: The Untold Story of Young Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wed, May 13
|Lawrence High School
Join us as we honor Mr. Fred Vereen, Jr., for a lifetime of service, followed by a rare and inspiring presentation by Stanford's Dr. Lerone A. Martin, director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, who shares the untold story of a young Martin Luther King, Jr.
Time & Location
May 13, 2026, 6:30 PM
Lawrence High School, 2525 Princeton Pike, Lawrence Township, NJ 08648, USA
About the event
Join Every Child Valued for a landmark community celebration featuring a prestigious award presentation and a book launch with one of the nation’s foremost scholars.
Honoring a Living Legacy: Mr. Fred Vereen, Jr. The evening will begin with a special presentation of the Every Child Valued Award for Service to Mr. Fred Vereen, Jr. This honor recognizes Mr. Vereen’s extraordinary legacy and his more than 75 years of dedicated service to the residents of Lawrence Township.
In alignment with the mission of Every Child Valued — to motivate young residents of Lawrence Township to reach their highest potential, strengthen families, and build a sense of community — we invite you to join us in celebrating a man who has spent a lifetime doing exactly that.
Presentation by Dr. Lerone A. Martin Following the award, we are honored to welcome back Stanford University’s Dr. Lerone A. Martin, director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. Before he was a world-renowned scholar, Dr. Martin earned his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and lived right here in Lawrence Township.
Dr. Martin will share insights from his new book, Young King: The Making of Martin Luther King, Jr. (HarperCollins, May 2026). Before he was an icon, Dr. King was a teenager: restless, uncertain, and still becoming. Dr. Martin returns home to tell this untold story in person.
Evening Highlights:
Award Presentation: The Every Child Valued Award for Service to Fred Vereen, Jr.
Keynote Talk: Dr. Lerone A. Martin on the untold story of young MLK
Community Dialogue: A public Q&A session
Reception & Signing: A reception with free food; copies of Young King will be available for purchase and signing
Admission is FREE and open to all. Please RSVP to help us plan.
If you'd like to join our group of presenting sponsors, below, please get in touch.
Presented by Every Child Valued.
