The nation is in need of dreamers like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to overcome moral decay and inspire today’s generation, said Alcorn State University president Dr. Christopher Brown during this morning’s annual scholarship breakfast honoring the civil rights leader.

“America is drunk and in need of a revival,” Brown said at the 23rd annual event, organized by Omicron Rho Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. “The children play loud music, but they cannot read. They’re getting high, but they cannot spell.”

Brown said recent signals of progress in race relations in the U.S. — including the 2008 election of President Barack Obama — depends on young people.

“I submit to you today that we must be as forceful as Dr. King in dreaming about leading our city, our state, our nation down a different road.”

About 220 packed Vicksburg Convention Center to hear Brown, who keynoted the program, and honor winners of the fraternity’s scholarships for 2012.

Winners of the 2012 King scholarships were Lyler Fisher, Skyler Gibson, Nelly Ngei, Kaitlyn Russell and Victoria Winters, all Warren Central Junior High students.

They averaged a 3.67 grade point average and wrote essays to win, said fraternity brother Edward Huell Jr.