Arthur "Pappy" Kennedy Prayer Breakfast

Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy and the Prayer Breakfast

Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy was Orlando’s first African American City Council Member, taking the oath of office in 1973 and serving two terms until 1980.

Pappy was an advocate of higher education, and he served as the organizer of the Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce, President of the Jones High School Parent-Teacher Association, and was instrumental in the organization of the Orange County Parent-Teacher Council. With the goal of improving his community, he worked with many organizations including Meals on Wheels, the United Negro College Fund, and the NAACP. Although Pappy Kennedy passed away in 2000, his legacy lives on in our Central Florida community.

The annual Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Prayer Breakfast—hosted by the YMCA of Central Florida, the Southwest Orlando Jaycees, and the City of Orlando’s Martin Luther King Commission—commemorates the legacies of Pappy Kennedy and civil rights pioneer Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Held each year on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day for three decades, this prayer breakfast brings together more than 1,000 civic leaders, pastors, and Central Florida neighbors in faith, prayer, and the shared commitment to strengthen our community and improve lives.