Hundreds of people filled the Capitol rotunda today for Idaho's official observation of Martin Luther King Jr./Idaho Human Rights Day, including lots of children. Estella Zamora, president of the Idaho Human Rights Commission, quoted Martin Luther King: "Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." She said, "We hope today that you leave here inspired that one person can make a difference, and that one person can be you ... that justice and dignity is a right that can and should be given to all of God's children."

Lieutenant Gov. Brad Little read the official state proclamation, declaring that the holiday is a time to reaffirm "equal treatment and justice for all." He also encouraged those in the crowd to participate in the political process, saying, "It only works if we have broad participation."

Holocaust survivor Rose Beal shared her story, including the horrors she endured as an 11-year-old Jewish girl in Nazi Germany - horrors that she survived, but many in her family didn't. She remembered sailing into New York harbor after her escape. "We were all on deck. We were crying, we were laughing," she recalled. "This great country with all its opportunity never disappointed me."

The state ceremony, sponsored by the Idaho Human Rights Commission and the Idaho Department of Labor, included music by the Common Ground Community Chorus with soloist Holly Ann Kling; a youth mariachi band; a trumpet fanfare and more.