Locals celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day virtually

Members of the community came together virtually

Saturday to celebrate Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and his accomplishments – the 22nd annual local MLK unity celebration was conducted through video conferencing due to COVID-19.

This was the first time since the event began that there was no march over the Twin Cities Memorial Bridge to Marysville’s Bethel AME church.

Pastor Darrell Chambers opened the celebration with a prayer that in part said, “Look through God’s eyes and the darkness will turn to light.”

The darkness that is COVID, racial injustice and any setbacks that people deal with daily can be wiped clean with love and support for each other, Chambers said.

Pastor and event coordinator Marcia Chambers wanted everyone to continue to believe in the power of love and unity as tools to help fix the world’s issues because that’s what Dr. King believed and preached during his marches, speeches and public appearances up until his untimely death.

Referencing one of King’s quotes, Marcia Chambers reiterated that, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Chambers also said it is important to carry on the reality of the dream that all of God’s children will be free at last and racial injustices and biases will cease to exist.

“We have to keep his vision in mind,” Chambers said. “To continue to march forward and carry out Dr. King’s dream.”

The federal holiday, observed annually on the third Monday of January, is not a day off but a day “to help empower individuals and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community,” Chambers said.

“We do not want the dream of this man to die,” Chambers said. “There is a reason why we march every year.”

Nyati Smile shared a poem about strength in everyday life. “To have strength in our walk, our voice, our spirit, our skin, our beauty and struggle,” Smile said.

Kercell Stowes followed with the reading of the famous “I

Have a Dream” speech, which King gave during his march on Washington for jobs and freedom on August 28, 1963.

Marcia and Darrell Chambers then followed with pictures of

past marches over the Twin Cities Memorial Bridge as a way for everyone not to forget the true symbol of remembering this day.

“Next year when all this is over we will continue moving forward with our march,” Marcia Chambers said.