COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) – The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. held its 36th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Awards breakfast at New Birth Church on Monday morning.

The awards ceremony began with a slide show of previous recipients of the Unity Award. The previous recipients were Sam Mitchell, Mark Upshaw, City Manager Isaiah Hugley, Teresa Pike Tomlinson, and more. After the slide show, members of Alpha Phi Alpha and guests were served breakfast while Reverend Curtis West, Pastor of Holsey Chapel CME Church prepared his sermon.

“It’s not enough to wish, it’s not enough to imagine, it’s not enough to dream and desire and to hope. We must be big enough to turn our obstacles into opportunities,” Reverend West said to the crowd.

During Reverend West’s sermon, he reminded the crowd they must always have faith in God and to remember what Martin Luther King Jr., was fighting for. After the sermon, the Unity Award was presented to Gregory Davis, founder of Davis Broadcasting. During Davis’s speech, he told the audience this was a true surprise.

“I was told that I was here to support my son-in-law,” Davis continued in his speech by thanking the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. “Through 35 years of the service industry you all have been very supportive, each and every one of you,” Davis said.

After the awards ceremony, Davis told News 3 it was a privilege to receive this award.

“This was a tremendous honor and deep appreciation of Alpha Phi Alpha Men’s Fraternity. They’re the long-standing fraternity in the community, they’ve done a lot in our community. I was extremely appreciative to be a part of this ceremony and recognition,” Davis said.

Davis believes this award ceremony will inspire others in the community.

“When people serve the community, which we try to serve the community. We do it by example and do it by hard work and putting back into the community what we take out. We have an excellent team, we have an excellent staff that involves a lot into giving back to the community,” Davis said.

Davis also wants those in the community to remember Martin Luther King Day is not a day off.

“It’s really a day on, it’s a day that we can look back and recognize where we come from and where we need to go. And how much people as a whole, both black and white, need to get along together through love, togetherness and know that love surpasses all,” Davis said.