Hundreds of people turned out for the MLK Day Unity Rally in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, Jan. 20.
The annual event was held in the Spokane Convention Center and hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.
As part of the celebrations, some students were honored with the gift of education. Genae Langford, a senior at Ferris High School, who plans to attend Washington State University, received the newly endowed Happy Watkins Scholarship. Emmanuel Eberhardt, a Rogers High School freshman, received the Ivan Bush Community Service Award.
Michael Bethely was one of the speakers as part of the rally. His speech was titled, “How Can I Love You Better?”
Here is an excerpt from the speech of Michael Bethely:
“I stand here to ask you, neighbor, my fellow man, my fellow woman, my fellow children: How can I love you better? What can I do to show you that it’s not about me getting over on you or me being more successful than you – that it’s not about me at all, but it’s about us coming together fulfilling the needs of the hungry. Us coming together to help build up communities that have no foundation to stand on. Us collaborating and creating opportunity for our fellow man or woman to have the best possible outcome for their lives. It’s about us serving each other in love.
“What will it take for us to go from ‘me’ to ‘we’? What will it take for us to leave the comparison and begin the companionship? Let patience have its perfect work.”
After the rally, people braved the cold and marched through downtown.