For the 18th straight year, Hermiston residents took to the streets on Monday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The event, organized each year by the Black International Awareness Club, celebrates the life and work of the late civil rights leader. A crowd of several dozen gathered at the United Methodist Church before singing and marching along Hermiston’s downtown streets.
After the march, the crowd gathered in front of Hermiston City Hall to hear Councilor Doug Primmer talk about the legacy of King. Primmer said Hermiston has a proud tradition of working to include everyone.
“We feel strongly enough about it that we state it on a sign that you see entering our town,” he said, referring to signs that tell passing motorists that Hermiston is “building an inclusive community.”
Primmer used a personal anecdote to reflect on the impact of King’s life.
He was in Seattle once at a ComiCon where actress Nichelle Nichols, who played the African American character Lt. Uhura, spoke. She recalled how she had intended to quit the show after the first season, but was persuaded to stay on by King, who happened to be a fan of the show.
Primmer said Nichols related how King told her that the role may very well be filled by a white, blonde actress and that she should take pride in representing her race on a popular television show.
Primmer urged the crowd to heed King’s words and not to see what makes us all different, “but see what makes use alike. The power of his words are timeless.”
