The 25th annual Martin Luther King March is Monday, Jan. 15, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hermiston City Hall, 180 NE Second St.
Hosted by the Hermiston Cultural Awareness Coalition, it features a short downtown march. The event continues with the presentation of HCAC scholarships, a program featuring Poet Jordan and music by the Hermiston High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Sean McClanahan.
A grassroots movement that began in 2000 as the Black International Awareness Club, the coalition’s mission is to promote the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and to support diversity and equality in the Hermiston area. HCAC President Dave Gracia said in addition to the annual MLK March, the group hosts a Juneteenth Celebration in the summer. He said their main focus is to educate others.
“Anytime we can alleviate ignorance about something and dispel misconceptions, I think it’s a worthy goal,” Gracia said. “A lot of people don’t even know what civil rights are.”
A civil rights leader, social activist and Baptist minister, King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was assassinated four years later while promoting pay equity and better conditions for Black sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Legislation was passed in 1983 to designate Martin Luther King Jr. Day — his birthday — as a federal holiday. It is observed on the third Monday in January.
Continuing King’s work
“It’s really important for us to not forget this man and what he did for the civil rights movement,” Bonnie Gracia, HCAC treasurer, said.
Dave Gracia is grateful for the founding and longtime members of the coalition. He said their efforts have made an impact — including the city of Hermiston observing the holiday.
HCAC Secretary Jesus Rome was among the group’s founding members who requested city officials designate MLK Day as a holiday during their first event on Jan. 17, 2000. The following year, City Manager Ed Brookshier, Mayor Bob Severson and several city councilors stood on the steps of a locked city hall.
“The city of Hermiston is pleased to join with all the citizens of this community in recognizing the contributions of Dr. King,” Severson said in the Jan. 16, 2001, Hermiston Herald. “Hermiston is a community of diversity, and … we are all citizens of that one community.”
Rome said financial support from the Oregon Community Foundation has allowed HCAC to expand its scholarship program. Academic awards of $1,000 each will be given to four students, including two from Stanfield and one each from Hermiston and Umatilla. Recipients, Rome said, will speak during the presentation.
Poet Jordan, aka Jordan Chaney, will present “The Shape of Your Heart” via Zoom. Formerly of the Tri-Cities, he is a poet, writer and motivational speaker. He presented the keynote address during the 2017 MLK March.
Chaney said he learned about the power of love and nonviolence from King. And to continue the leader’s legacy, he urges people to take action and not be afraid to speak up.
“You don’t have to be a Martin Luther King to make a difference,” Rome said. “Whether it’s at work, at church or going to the grocery store, everyone can make a difference in trying to understand others who look different or speak different than us.”
