Event is at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, in Edmunds Hall
Presbyterian College will host its 2026 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Convocation on Monday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. in Edmunds Hall, continuing the college’s longstanding tradition of honoring the life, legacy and teachings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through reflection, dialogue and community engagement.
This year’s convocation theme, “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way,” aligns with the national theme set by The King Center and focuses on Dr. King’s enduring commitment to nonviolence as a moral, social and civic practice. The keynote address will be delivered by James Bennett, executive director of Palmetto Boys State.
The annual MLK Convocation is a cornerstone event of Presbyterian College’s commitment to civic responsibility, leadership development and social justice. Open to students, faculty, staff and the broader community, the event provides an opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s vision for a more just and unified society while examining how those ideals apply to the challenges of the present day. PC also invites student volunteers on MLK Day to volunteer at various sites throughout Laurens County.
Bennett brings to the podium a background that bridges business leadership, public service and community engagement. A native of Taylors, Bennett is a graduate of Riverside High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in packaging science from Clemson University. Before entering the business world, he was a walk-on pitcher for Clemson’s baseball program during the mid-1990s.
Following graduation, Bennett spent more than a decade in the food manufacturing industry, working with Nestlé Frozen Foods and Country Fresh Inc. In 2011, he founded Upstate Home Care Solutions, a nonmedical home care agency dedicated to supporting families and their aging loved ones. Under his leadership, the company expanded to multiple locations in the Upstate and employed more than 100 caregivers at its peak. The organization was recognized as “Best in the Upstate” for in-home senior care services by The Greenville News in 2019 and was named Minority Business of the Year by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce in 2018.
Bennett sold the company in 2024 and has since focused on leadership and service-oriented initiatives.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bennett has a long history of civic involvement. He has served on several boards and community organizations throughout the Upstate, including Ten at the Top, the Greenville City Club and Fire Pit Ranch. He is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., an organization known for its emphasis on service, scholarship, and leadership.
In 2024, Bennett was named executive director of Palmetto Boys State, an American Legion-sponsored program that educates high school students about government, citizenship and leadership through immersive, hands-on experiences. Bennett’s connection to the program spans more than three decades; he first participated as a high school student in 1993. Today, Palmetto Boys State serves more than 1,000 rising high school seniors annually and is widely regarded as one of the premier Boys State programs in the nation.
Bennett and his wife, Matrissa, are ordained ministers and serve at Reedy Fork Baptist Church in Simpsonville. They have been married for more than two decades and are the parents of two daughters.
Hosted by the college’s Office of Justice and Community Wellbeing, the convocation is free and open to the public.
