Nicholas Marcus Thompson Receives Martin Luther King Jr. Award

Nicholas Marcus Thompson MLK Award Video

On January 19, 2025, Nicholas Marcus Thompson was honoured with the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Community Development Award in Whitby, Ontario, at a gathering of more than 2,000 people hosted by MLK Connexus to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The event brought together elders, youth, families, faith leaders, and community builders to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and to recognize leaders whose work continues to advance justice and community strength today. Thompson expressed his gratitude to MLK Connexus for creating a space rooted in service, faith, and collective purpose.

With this honour, Thompson joins a distinguished group of past recipients, including The Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, P.C., C.M., O. Ont., C.B.E., Rosemary Sadlier, O.Ont, and Dr. Gervan Fearon, leaders whose contributions have shaped public life, education, and community leadership across Canada.

The award reflects years of organizing and standing with workers who have faced discrimination and exclusion. As President and CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat, he has helped lead efforts to hold institutions accountable and to press for meaningful change in how workers are treated in Canada’s public service.

Thompson thanked MLK Connexus for its leadership in convening more than 2,000 people in Whitby to honour Dr. King’s legacy and to shine a light on those carrying that legacy forward.

The moment is both an honour and a reminder that the work continues.

Nicholas Marcus Thompson received the MLK Jr Award.