Washington Community Honors MLK with 32nd Unity Event

When Central Kitsap High School student David McClain took the microphone at this year's MLK Day celebration, his words captured what brings hundreds back to this event year after year. "Fear and purpose stand in the same place, and we must decide which one moves first," he told the crowd of over 300 community members gathered at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds on January 19.

The 32nd annual celebration opened with Bremerton High School's NJROTC presenting the colors, followed by the national anthem and performances from the MLK Community Choir. Three decades of hosting this event shows the community's sustained commitment to the values Dr. King championed.

Local leaders took the stage to read proclamations honoring King's legacy. Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler reminded attendees that King became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1964, recognized worldwide for showing how to overcome oppression without violence.

John Farrior from the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church acknowledged the ongoing work ahead. "The marches, protests, and even divisions among friends and families show that racism and discrimination did not end with the Civil Rights Movement," he said, emphasizing that love for others remains the path forward.

Reverend Dennis G. Payne II, the keynote speaker and legislative advocate for the Coalition of African and African-American Pastors, shared his vision for systems rooted in compassion and justice. As someone who regularly meets with city leaders and state legislators, Payne works to advance faith-informed policies that serve the common good.

McClain's student perspective brought fresh energy to timeless wisdom. He quoted Dr. King: "If you cannot fly, then run. If you cannot run, then walk. If you cannot walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving." Progress isn't about speed, McClain explained, but about moving in the right direction with purpose.

The Ripple Effect

This celebration does more than honor history. It creates space for teenagers to stand alongside elected officials and faith leaders, learning that change happens when communities choose unity over division. When a high school student quotes Dr. King to an audience spanning generations, and everyone listens, that's how movements stay alive.

The event closed with everyone singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing," written as a poem in 1899 and often called "The Black National Anthem." Three decades of celebration shows that some commitments are worth keeping.