KINDNESs IN PROGRESS
CELEBRATE OUR 19th Annual IFAAA
Dr. MLK Jr. Banquet!
January 23rd, 2026 at the Idaho Falls Mountain America Center
Special Keynote:
ALFRED “COACH” POWELL
Adjunct Associate Professor
Hall of Fame Football and Track & Field Coach
The Idaho Falls African American Alliance is committed to initiating dialogue and providing resources that contribute to the educational, economic, and cultural growth & development of our community.
The IFAAA promotes understanding and respect among all races.
-Founder Dave Snell
HUMAN FAMILY
BY: MAYA ANGELOU
I note the obvious differences in the human family
Some of us are serious, some thrive on comedy
Some declare their lives are lived as true profundity
And others claim they really live the real reality
The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight
Brown and pink, and beige, and purple, tan and blue, and white
I've sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land
I've seen the wonders of the world
Not yet one common man
I know ten thousand women called Jane and Mary Jane
I've not seen any two who really were the same
(Mirror twins are different, although, their features jibe)
And lovers think quite different thoughts
While lying side by side
We love and lose in China
We weep on England's moors
And laugh and moan in Guinea
And thrive on Spanish shores
We seek success in Finland
Are born and die in Maine
In minor ways, we differ
In major, we're the same
I note the obvious differences between each sort and type
But we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike
We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike
We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike
The 19th Annual IFAAA MLK Banquet tickets are on Sale!
For questions or more event information Call: ☎️ (208)-569-6768
For reservations Call: ☎️ (208)-918-6229 or (208)-360-8708
The 19th Annual IFAAA MLK Banquet tickets are on Sale! For questions or more event information Call: ☎️ (208)-569-6768 For reservations Call: ☎️ (208)-918-6229 or (208)-360-8708
Events
19th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. IFAAA Banquet
Friday January 23rd, 2026
Keynote Speaker
ALFRED “COACH” POWELL
Adjunct Associate Professor
Certified Trauma Recovery Life Coach
Author | Motivator | Master Trainer
Hall of Fame Football and Track & Field Coach
Mountain America Center
Idaho Falls, ID 6:00-9:30 PM
Special Virtual Speaker Introduction
BY: COACH JIM PLACE
Retired Hall of Fame Football Coach
Character Educator
KINDNESS IN PROGRESS
Alfred “Coach” Powell is an internationally celebrated motivational speaker, author, and educator with over four decades of experience transforming communities of color. He’s the Founder and CEO of the Human Motivation Council and Human Motivation Circle. He is widely known as the “Dean of Street Psychology” for his groundbreaking research into street culture, trauma, and youth development.
Despite countless accolades Powell values most, the smiles and gratitude from children and families whose lives he has touched. His life’s mission remains clear: to inspire others to “give back, instead of giving up”, to turn pain into purpose, struggle into strength, and challenges into change.
Co-Founders and Hall of Famer’s
Coach Alfred Powell & Coach Jim Place started the Social Justice 7-on-7 Football Competition in 2020. A High School Football competition and a Social justice community exercise all in one.
“We have 70 teams and over 3,200 students/coaches attending,” said Place, a long-time area high school football coach who has helped organize the event along with former Dunbar coach Al Powell. “It is great to see players from different schools interacting and discussing how football can be used to promote better relationships.” -Dayton Daily News
Coach Alfred Powell, and Coach Jim Place featured on Stephanie Rhule’s “ The 11th Hour” on MSNOW September 9th, 2025.
Taking place at the
Mountain America Center!
The 19th Annual IFAAA MLK Jr. Banquet will once again be held at the incredible Mountain America Center.
WE’LL SEE YOU THERE!
JANUARY 23rd, 2026 6:00-9:30PM
ENTERTAINMENT
Four - BYU-I Quartets
DR. MARK WATKINS’ JAZZ SAXOPHONE QUARTET
FOUR, is a jazz saxophone quartet (Mark Watkins — soprano/alto; Mat Miles — alto; Ben Nichols — tenor; Ben Britton — baritone), performs worldwide to rave reviews: “Beautiful, intelligent, soulful, swinging…” (Noah Peterson). They play Watkins’ originals and diverse jazz styles (mainstream, funk, Latin, contemporary) at major festivals and World Saxophone Congresses across Europe and Asia, with appearances in Iceland, Great Britain, Singapore, and the Philippines. Their music is published by Walrus, Jazz Lines, and Mark Watkins Saxophone, and distributed via eJazz Lines and MarkWatkinsSaxophone.
Shelby Rae Murdock is a professional violinist, fiddler, and music educator based in Southeast Idaho. She is the founder and owner of Snake River Strings Co., a private music education company with multiple locations in Blackfoot, Pocatello, Ammon, and Rexburg.
Ordering Your Tickets
*Buffett Dinner included
Dietary Restrictions?
This year the IFAAA MLK Banquet will host a dietary restriction buffet separate from the standard buffet. It will accommodate gluten allergies, vegan diets, and vegetarian diets.
Please complete the dietary restriction questions when purchasing your tickets so we can accommodate your party’s dietary needs. Thank you!
Purchase Your TICKETS Now!
2026 MLK Banquet 1/23/2026
Online Tickets: E-Ticket Check-in 🎟️
For More Information or Questions Call: ☎️ (208)-569-6768
For Reservations Call: ☎️ (208)-918-6229 or (208)-360-8708
Together we shine.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - 1960
Meet Some Of Our Past Speakers
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Dr. Warren “PETE” F. Miller Jr. (2025)
PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE, DEP. OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING SENIOR ADVISOR, CENTER OF ADVANCED SMALL MODULAR AND MICRO-REACTORS (CASMR)
Warren F. “Pete” Miller Jr. served as assistant secretary for nuclear energy from 2009 to 2010. He spent 27 years of his career at Los Alamos National Laboratory, holding numerous roles overseeing science and nuclear energy programs until his retirement from the lab in 2001. He is a Vietnam veteran, Bronze Star recipient, American Nuclear Society fellow,
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DR. SYDNEY FREEMAN JR. (2024)
Dr. Sydney Freeman, Jr. isn't just a full professor at the University of Idaho; he's a true trailblazer boasting the prestigious title of Fellow of the Royal Historical Society from the UK. Dubbed a 'Memory Keeper' by the Africatown Heritage House in Alabama. Dr. Freeman's leadership has propelled the University of Idaho's Black History Research Lab to National acclaim, earning commendations from the US Senate and Idaho's Governor. He's a much sought-after speaker, gracing stages from Harvard to Oxford, and stretching as far as Jerusalem and Saigon.
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Marvin Lewis (2023)
FORMER NFL HEAD COACH OF THE CINCINNATI BENGALS AND IDAHO STATE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE (2001)
Marvin Lewis now works as a Special Advisor for Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Holding a Master’s Degree in Athletic Administration from Idaho State University, he also got his first coaching job at Idaho State (1981-84) where he previously played on their football team (1978-80).
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Daniel "Fuzz" Walker (2022)
F-22 RAPTOR PILOT COMMANDER FOR THE U.S. AIR FORCE AND GREAT-NEPHEW OF TUSKEGEE AIRMAN, 2ND- LT. SCALES.
Major Daniel 'Fuzz" Walker is an F-22 Raptor Mission Commander with over 700 hours of combined training and combat flight time.
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J.C. Watts (2020)
FMR. OKLAHOMA CONGRESSMAN, CELEBRATED ATHLETE AND BROADCAST NEWS VETERAN.
J.C. Watts, former Republican congressman, minister, retired professional football player and current chairman of the Black News Channel. As a network that is minority owned and operated. BNC will provide an authentic new voice that represents African Americans in mainstream media, fostering political, economic, and social discourse. The network will be one voice representing the many voices of African Americans.
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Dr. Mareena Robinson-Snowden (2019)
FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN TO RECEIVE A PH.D. IN NUCLEAR ENERGY FROM MIT
Mareena Robinson Snowden, Ph.D. is a senior engineer in the National Security Analysis Department at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Her current research portfolio includes future nuclear weapon systems, nuclear crisis issues, and new technology for surface warfare.
