MLK DAY CELEBRATION: West Seattle HS student Noah Charleston co-MCing downtown rally; plus, other local involvement

If you are still planning your Monday – we’ve learned of West Seattle involvement in the 36th annual official daylong Seattle celebration in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The official overview:

Celebration starts at Garfield High School, 400 23rd Ave at E Jefferson, Seattle
Opportunity fair in the Commons 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Workshops in classrooms 9:30-10:50 a.m.
Morning rally in gymnasium 10:40-12:20
March 12:30 p.m.
Afternoon rally downtown, Westlake Park [~1:30 pm]
shared meal back at Garfield High School, Commons

The afternoon rally at Westlake will be co-emceed/moderated by West Seattle High School freshman Noah A. Charleston (right), whose proud dad Lemuel Charleston e-mailed us to be sure that West Seattle Blog readers are aware. He says Noah is co-emceeing after being “voted in by the MLK Jr. Celebrations committee.” (Here’s the program.)

Noah has long been active in the community, he explains: “My family, my wife, and many of our friends and I have been involved with the Seattle community in the way of ministry, feeding the homeless, advocating for civil rights, and seeking to do our small part in making Seattle the best place in the world to live. We have involved our children in as many of these aspects as we can.”

The morning gathering at Garfield High School, meantime, includes 28 workshops, all free and open to the public. At least four include West Seattleites. There will be a session of Bystander Intervention Training, with Admiral UCC pastor Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom and leaders from Anti-Hate Alaska Junction, Susan Oatis and Jane Westergaard-Nimocks. (They’ve done local workshops, as featured here on WSB.) Also, a workshop preparing for the launch of a new anti-racist coalition will include Chief Sealth International High School student Khaim Vassar-Fontenot and WSHS student Makhari Dysart. And there is local involvement in two other youth-led workshops – one on intersectionality, with Chief Sealth student Maya Garzelli presenting, and another about activism features Olivia Goss, a West Seattle resident who is a Garfield student.

More info about the MLK Day events is here.

2 Replies to "MLK DAY CELEBRATION: West Seattle HS student Noah Charleston co-MCing downtown rally; plus, other local involvement"

  • AJP January 14, 2018 (7:00 pm)

    Fantastic! Today’s youth give me hope for the future.

  • annika January 15, 2018 (11:43 am)

    Way to go, Noah!

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