Spokane’s King celebration rooted in faith

Organizers of Spokane’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration are reaching out to the same groups that helped strengthen the civil rights movement: people of faith.

King’s dream of loving one’s neighbor – of freedom, dignity and equality for all – reflects the goal of every faith community, said Ivan Bush, one of the founders of the Unity March.

“They’re one and the same,” Bush said. “Dr. King came out of the faith movement. What he was doing in the civil rights movement was also very much about the faith movement.”

This year, Bush and others on the MLK planning committee have sent out thousands of fliers and made phone calls to pastors and other leaders of the region’s congregations. Their outreach efforts to faith communities are also reflected in the diversity of speakers taking part in Sunday’s commemorative celebration: Rabbi Jack Izakson of Temple Beth Shalom; the Rev. Arthur Jarrett, a Baptist minister; the Rev. Steve Dublinski, a Roman Catholic priest and vicar general of the Spokane Diocese.

“We have to remember that the churches are where the movement got its energy and a lot of its leadership,” said Austin DePaolo, one of the organizers and executive director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center. “These faith institutions are an important part of keeping our community strong.”

Faith congregations from throughout Eastern Washington and North Idaho have always played a significant role in Spokane’s commemoration of King’s life and legacy. In fact, the local celebration was initiated by church leaders, including the Rev. Percy “Happy” Watkins, whose recitation of the “I Have a Dream” speech has evolved into a Martin Luther King Jr. Day tradition in Spokane.

And they were well ahead of the curve. The Spokane observance of King’s life and legacy actually took place two years before the nation recognized King with an official holiday.

Although the first legislation proposing King’s birthday as a holiday was submitted in 1968 – four days after the civil rights leader was assassinated – the initiative didn’t gain widespread support until 1983. Despite efforts by Sen. Jesse Helms to sidetrack legislation that would make King’s birthday a national legal holiday beginning in 1986, it was signed in November 1983 by President Reagan.

Jim Chase was Spokane’s mayor in 1984, the first time this city held a community-wide celebration of King’s life. He and Watkins, along with Bush, who was director of the MLK Family Outreach Center at the time, worked with dozens of people from local churches. About 300 people attended the inaugural service at Bethel AME, Watkins recalled. “We had to turn people away because there wasn’t enough room,” he said.

The following day, kids from the MLK Family Outreach Center marched from the Public Safety Building to the U.S. Courthouse downtown carrying a large sign made of butcher paper: “Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King!” it said. There were fewer than 50 marchers, Bush recalled, but they were buoyed by the support of drivers who honked their horns and others on the streets who gave them peace signs and applauded their efforts.

Attendance has grown significantly since then. In recent years, the annual Unity March has drawn crowds of more than 2,000.

Much has changed in the arena of civil rights since that inaugural celebration 23 years ago, said Bush, who’s now the equal opportunity officer for Spokane Public Schools. Slowly, more people are making the effort to realize King’s dream, he said.

“Are we there yet as a community? My answer is a definite ‘no,’ ” Bush said. “But if you ask me if we’re on the journey, I’d say ‘yes.’ It’s a long journey, but at least now, we’re on it.”