(Photo courtesy Seattle Colleges)

By Aspen Anderson
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

In advance of today’s holiday, Seattle Colleges hosted the 52nd annual Community Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Friday at South Seattle College’s Brockey Center. The event featured music, speeches, and reflections focused on continuing Dr. King’s fight for justice.

KIRO TV anchor Deedee Sun emceed the event, welcoming attendees with a call to action. “We’re all here today because we see a better future for tomorrow,” Sun said.

(Greater Works performing ‘We Shall Overcome’)
Gospel choir Greater Works, directed by DaNell Daymon, opened with a high-energy performance of “Praise Him,” earning a standing ovation. Their second song, “The Lord is Blessing Me,” brought even more energy to the room, with the audience clapping along and many wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “social justice.” (We featured two of their songs in this report on Friday.)

Reverend Dr. Phyllis Beaumonte of Mount Zion Baptist Church delivered an invocation that highlighted Dr. King’s courage and enduring relevance.

“We should ask ourselves how we can honor and continue his legacy, not just for a gathering once a year,” Beaumonte said. “Who will take the baton he spoke of and continue the support for voting rights,for housing for the poor. Who has the courage to speak out against racism, anti-semitism, do those things that are required of us for when we leave this place, our skin color is not going to matter. It will return to ashes to ashes and dust to dust.”

Keynote speaker Tim Wise (video above), a prominent anti-racist educator, delivered a candid critique of systemic racism in the U.S., quoting Dr. King: “The largest part of white America is still poisoned by racism, which is as native to our soil as pine trees, sagebrush, and buffalo grass.

“You won’t hear that Dr King quoted on Monday.,” Wise said, referring to the overlap of MLK Day with the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. “They take one line out of one speech, which I gather is the only speech they ever heard…one line about judging people on the content of their character rather than the color of their skin…You don’t get shot for that line. You don’t get shot for that sanitized version of a vision of America, he gets shot, because he said some other things, and he believed in some other things.”

U.S. House Rep. Pramila Jayapal (video above) reflected on Dr. King’s activism during turbulent times, drawing parallels to present-day challenges.

“The year he died … has a lot of similarities to the moment we find ourselves in today,” Jayapal said. “… Dr. King would want us to come together and refuse to give in to the divisiveness, to the racism, to the xenophobia that is being fueled and spread, to stand up courageously for our most vulnerable communities, for our students, For our workers and demand what is right, no matter how difficult it may seem in the moment.”

She encouraged action, saying, “I will be spending the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King’s birthday Monday, January, 20, right here at home feeding the hungry.”

The program also honored social-justice leaders and initiatives, including the Academy for Rising Educators (ARE), which focuses on diversifying the teaching workforce. Dr. Pat Russell spoke about the program’s mission, noting that 80% of teachers are white.

“These children are not seeing themselves,” Russell said. “When you don’t see yourself you get the message loud and clear, ‘this is not for me.’ We need to make sure that every child knows that education is for them and that’s what ARE is about.”

Speakers also included Seattle Colleges Chancellor Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap (video above), who spoke of her time as president of SSC, talking about its evolution toward becoming an anti-racist institution.

The event concluded with Greater Works’ rendition of “Oh Happy Day,” led by the choir and joined by the audience. Sun closed the celebration with a message: “I hope this day wakes you up.”

The event served as a kickoff to Seattle Colleges’ second annual Social Justice Week, continuing the conversation and commitment to equity inspired by Dr. King. See the event listings here.