Contra Costa County honors student and adult humanitarians at MLK celebration; keynote calls for unity
January 20, 2026 | Contra Costa County, California
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Diane Vergas, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, opened the county’s 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration with a land and labor acknowledgment and a call to carry forward Dr. King’s legacy through service.
The county named Elena Velasquez as the Student Humanitarian of the Year. Elena, a Richmond high school senior, told the audience that "democracy is a verb," describing years of volunteer work with the Latina Center, Urban Tilth and the North Richmond Farm and saying she leads a 30-member chapter of the National Honor Society. Elena said she plans to attend college and continue organizing around food sovereignty and environmental justice.
The Federal Glover Adult Humanitarian of the Year was presented in absentia to Gabby, founder of Pledge to Humanity; her son, Giovanni Gorbani, read remarks on her behalf. Giovanni said the award reflects "a legacy of extraordinary service and unwavering dedication to humanity" and urged attendees to remember that small acts of kindness create "ripples of change." Carrie Barlow, president of Pledge to Humanity, accepted the award and summarized Gabby’s two decades of volunteer projects across the Bay Area.
County officials also noted civic commendations that will accompany the honorees’ presentations, including a congressional commendation from U.S. Rep. John Garamendi and a senate resolution from State Senator Jesse Aragine as spoken at the event.
Alex Walker Griffin, an elected official from the city of Hercules, delivered the keynote and framed the celebration around civic obligation and inclusion. Griffin criticized what he described as national policy trends ‘‘rolling back DEI’’ and urged attendees to "stand together," repeating the refrain that "love is winning" and calling for continued community engagement to protect rights and expand opportunity.
The event included an invocation from Reverend Ed Harris Sr., a performance by the Grace Temple choir of Antioch and public acknowledgments of the MLK committee volunteers who organized the ceremony. Chair Vergas closed by thanking organizers and inviting attendees to photographs and lunch.
The program focused on recognition and reflection rather than formal county business; there were no motions or board votes recorded during the ceremony.
The county named Elena Velasquez as the Student Humanitarian of the Year. Elena, a Richmond high school senior, told the audience that "democracy is a verb," describing years of volunteer work with the Latina Center, Urban Tilth and the North Richmond Farm and saying she leads a 30-member chapter of the National Honor Society. Elena said she plans to attend college and continue organizing around food sovereignty and environmental justice.
The Federal Glover Adult Humanitarian of the Year was presented in absentia to Gabby, founder of Pledge to Humanity; her son, Giovanni Gorbani, read remarks on her behalf. Giovanni said the award reflects "a legacy of extraordinary service and unwavering dedication to humanity" and urged attendees to remember that small acts of kindness create "ripples of change." Carrie Barlow, president of Pledge to Humanity, accepted the award and summarized Gabby’s two decades of volunteer projects across the Bay Area.
County officials also noted civic commendations that will accompany the honorees’ presentations, including a congressional commendation from U.S. Rep. John Garamendi and a senate resolution from State Senator Jesse Aragine as spoken at the event.
Alex Walker Griffin, an elected official from the city of Hercules, delivered the keynote and framed the celebration around civic obligation and inclusion. Griffin criticized what he described as national policy trends ‘‘rolling back DEI’’ and urged attendees to "stand together," repeating the refrain that "love is winning" and calling for continued community engagement to protect rights and expand opportunity.
The event included an invocation from Reverend Ed Harris Sr., a performance by the Grace Temple choir of Antioch and public acknowledgments of the MLK committee volunteers who organized the ceremony. Chair Vergas closed by thanking organizers and inviting attendees to photographs and lunch.
The program focused on recognition and reflection rather than formal county business; there were no motions or board votes recorded during the ceremony.
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