Community gathers as ‘One People’ across Duluth to honor MLK
Throughout the day, members of the community faced the cold to gather as One People in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. A number of events were held to honor and discuss the messages Martin Luther King shared.
A community breakfast was held at 7am at the First United Methodist church, as a rally was then held in the Symphony Hall of the DECC at 12pm. The breakfast saw not only members of the community, but elected officials gathering to watch a national keynote speaker in the cities.
General Mills has worked alongside other organizations to bring speakers and the community together since the early 2000s. With this year bringing the Journalist, NPR Host and Author, Michele Norris. Her talk was accompted by performances by the Sounds of Blackness, Threads Dance Project, and VocalEssence. The archive of the keynote can be found on their archive page of their website.
In honoring the spirit of Martin Luther King, a free will offering to support the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) was held throughout the morning discussion and rally. This fund supports students of African Heritage throughout Minnesota to attend college. A long-time attendee of these breakfasts, spoke on the importance of having these events.
“And we think it’s just a great opportunity to bring community together and talk about the issues that face us, which face the whole country. We still have the still work to be done. So I’m happy to find a diverse community here who are willing to work on issues and support each other.”
Rally at the DECC
Despite the cold preventing the March from taking place, the community still gathered together to celebrate at the DECC’s Symphony Hall. “We are here to celebrate the progress of something that he started,” said Tim Squalls, a vendor and performer at the event. “Marching back then is something we not only continue to do today but we are actually in the progress of what he began.”
As they filed in, people rallied together to honor, to celebrate, and progress forward as a community. No matter the weather, their spirit shined through. “One thing about this community, the spirit is so strong, nothing stops it. When I heard that the weather was going to be very, very cold, I mean we’re still going to show up. We’re still going to represent; this is what we do,” said Squalls.
There were dances, songs, and speeches given to keep Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream alive. Some of the people attending the rally have been participating for decades. “We’ve been doing this every year for as long as I’ve been here 32 years and it’s all about keeping the hope alive, working for justice, and equality right here in the Northland,” said Pastor Jojo Coffin-Langdon.
The morning breakfast saw hundreds of people gather in community as even more showed up for the rally, with a goal of spreading love and bringing communities together instead of dividing them.
“I feel like this community right here has one of the strongest spirits in the world because it’s free, it’s loving, it’s accepting, and it stands for something. And when the people in this community stand for something, they don’t sit down,” said Squalls.