Marching, Dancing, Singing: How Locals Are Lifting Up Dr. King’s Legacy
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Monday morning kicked off with a march up State Street to the Arlington Theater commemorating the late Dr. King.
“Martin Luther King Jr. was a great activist who wanted to make sure that all people had equal rights, because we all do,” said 7th grader Elysha Smith.
At the Arlington Theater visitors paid tribute to Dr. King through a 2 hour program.
The program resonated with students like 7th grader Elysha Smith.
“My favorite part was the music. The music was really inspiring. And so was the speeches, especially by Miss King,” said Elysha Smith.
“Let us honor not just the memory of Martin Luther King Junior, but the movement he represented and the dream he dared us to fulfill,” said Dr. King’s daughter-in-law Leah Weber King.
Leah King was the keynote speaker for the program, conveying a message of unity and action that resonated with many.
“You need to acknowledge the racism, the anti-black racism. You need to stop allowing yourself to be complacent to the status quo and lean into true, sustainable, evidence based, intentional actions so that we can all thrive,” said Santa Barbara City College Board Trustee Charlotte Gullap-Moore.
“We can't be silent when we know we should be speaking. In order to speak, we have to have courage,” said First Five Executive Director Wendy Sims-Moten.
“We should get leaders who are in love with, like, helping the community instead of in love with money and different worldly things,” said Elysha Smith.
Student winners from the MLK poetry and essay contest received their certificates on stage.
Festivities continued with a luncheon at the United Methodist Church on Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara.
“People are not dismayed. Not discouraged. They're still encouraged. They still are motivated. They still want to see change. They still want to move forward with the legacy of Doctor King,” said CommUnify Chief Operating Office Monica Logan.
