Travis Brittain attends the Martin Luther King Unity Awards ceremony every year, but the thought that he might one day receive the same award never crossed his mind. Gaston Clergy and Citizens Coalition recently named Brittain – Gastonia’s 24th chief of police – as one of the 2021 recipients of the Martin Luther King Unity Award. Presented by GC3 annually since 2004, the award recognizes current or former Gaston County citizens who have continuously helped unite people across lines of class, race, gender and faith through community service. From a young age, the Ashbrook High graduate knew he would work in public safety. Brittain first connected with Gastonia Police Department in 1989, then a teenager, through the city’s Explorer program, which he joined before he could drive a car.