The Realizing the Dream Committee is ushering in the 2026 season under the theme “Realizing the Dream Through Faith and Action,” unveiling a lineup of events that will feature nationally acclaimed voices in film, ministry and music.
The annual Realizing the Dream events, which celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, are organized by a committee that includes representatives from Shelton State Community College, Stillman College, the Tuscaloosa chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and The University of Alabama.
Legacy Banquet Details
On Friday, Jan. 16, at 6:30 p.m., the 17th Legacy Awards Banquet will take place in Sellers Auditorium at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus.
Alfre Woodard, whose work as an actor has spanned more than 50 years, will be the banquet speaker. Her performances include HBO’s “Mandela,” where she was honored with an ACE award for her portrayal of Winnie Mandela; Joseph Sargent’s “Miss Evers’ Boys,” for which she won one of her four Emmy Awards, as well as one of three SAG Awards and a Golden Globe Award; Maya Angelou’s “Down in the Delta” and, most recently “12 Years a Slave.” The 17-time Emmy Award nominee is also a longtime activist, having co-founded Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit working to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and further the cause of democracy and human rights in South Africa.
Legacy Banquet tickets are $30 for individuals or $200 for a table of eight. Dress is semiformal. Tickets for both events will be available for purchase online beginning Friday, Jan. 9, at 8 a.m.
Legacy Award Honorees
At the banquet, retired pastor Joseph Ellwanger will receive the Mountaintop Award. Ellwanger became involved in the civil rights movement, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while serving as pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Birmingham. He served as president of the Birmingham Council on Human Relations and was a member of the Central Committee. Ellwanger led 72 participants in the Concerned White Citizens of Alabama demonstration in Selma the day before Bloody Sunday and participated in the last segment of the Selma to Montgomery march. His second congregation was in Milwaukee, where he helped develop a racially integrated congregation. He is the author of “Strength for the Struggle,” a 2014 volume that draws on 55 years of urban ministry.
Rev. Arthur Price Jr., pastor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, will receive the Call to Conscience Award. Price, who has been pastor of the church since 2002, has worked diligently to balance the church’s historic past with a powerful, faith-forward ministry that echoes its rich history by addressing current issues and community needs while seeking effective ways and the means to preserve the structure, which was built in 1873 and which has a congregation of almost 300 but draws more than 100,000 visitors annually.
Daphne Ayodele, a Stillman College senior who is majoring in biology, will receive the Horizon Award. She plans to become a nurse practitioner and drive health equity. She currently serves as a program manager at The House Tuscaloosa, overseeing the after-school garden program at Central Elementary School.
Concert Details
Smokie Norful, a world-renowned pastor and award-winning recording artist, will be the featured artist for the 2026 Realizing the Dream Concert on Sunday, Jan. 18. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at UA’s Moody Music Concert Hall.
Norful has reached the heights of success in both ministry and music, with nearly three decades in ministry and a celebrated music career spanning more than two decades. Among his musical achievements are five No. 1 Billboard albums, two GRAMMY Awards, 11 Stellar Awards and five Dove Awards, as well as sales of more than six million albums worldwide.
Concert tickets are $20 and go on sale Jan. 9. Purchase tickets.
Unity Day Details
Realizing the Dream partner Tuscaloosa SCLC will sponsor Unity Day activities on Monday, Jan. 19. The day will begin with a Unity Day Breakfast at Beulah Baptist Church at 8 a.m. A Unity March from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School to the Tuscaloosa City Hall is scheduled to begin at noon. The Mass Rally will begin at 5 p.m. at First African Baptist Church, featuring speaker Jared White.
More Information
Additional Realizing the Dream events will take place throughout the year.
For ticketing information, call 205-348-7111 or email community.affairs@ua.edu. For more information about Realizing the Dream activities and events, visit the website or call 205-348-8376.