‘This is his legacy’: Late Rev. ‘Happy’ Watkins front-of-mind at first MLK Day celebration without the civil rights leader

No absence may have been greater felt among the thousands who marched through Spokane on Monday than that of the late Rev. Percy ‘Happy’ Watkins.

Watkins, one of Spokane’s most prominent civil rights and spiritual leaders, died last October at 82 years old.

The New Hope Baptist Church founder and longtime pastor spent decades advocating for the marginalized, and as one of the founders of Spokane’s annual celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, read King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech every holiday – even when health concerns required him to do so via video in recent years.

Despite his passing, Watkins’ presence was felt at the Spokane Convention Center as residents from across the Inland Northwest gathered for the celebration he helped get off the ground, said Freda Gandy, director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and a mentee of Watkins.

“This is the first MLK Day without him, and I’m just sad,” Gandy said. “But I’m also happy, because this is the legacy that he left – bringing this community together on a day like today for unity and peace.”

Attendees gathered in a crowded ballroom to listen to remarks from local leaders like Gandy, NAACP President Lisa Gardner and Co-Chair of the Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition Michael Bethely. Their remarks touched on the figures who came before, like Watkins and King, while stressing that those in the room must pick up the fight.

The massive crowd then filled three city blocks as rally-goers marched the streets of downtown Spokane.

Taking the place of Watkins’ annual delivery of “I Have a Dream” speech this year was a tribute video featuring prominent community figures who worked alongside and cared for him. Gandy, Fig Tree editor Mary Stamp, attorney William Maxey, Unitarian Universalist Rev. Todd Eklof and many others sat around Larry’s Barber Shop as they discussed his impact on Spokane.

“Happy was a close friend of mine,” said Larry Roseman, owner and operator of the Spokane staple since 1978. “I went on a lot of missions to his calling, whether it was somebody called and needed some gas or needed a few dollars, or something, he was always out there helping people.”

Roseman said Watkins’ death is a significant loss for the community. Most people know Watkins spent his life on the front lines of efforts to diversify and improve practices within local law enforcement agencies, schools and other public institutions, but some of his notable accomplishments did not receive acclaim, he said.

As an example, Roseman pointed to Watkin’s efforts to build a statue honoring Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, who served in the U.S. Air Force and died with six other astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia.

Several attendees stopped to take a photo with the Anderson statue, which stands outside the convention center, before continuing with the march Monday.

Gandy said the best way to honor King, and local figures like Watkins and his close collaborator Ivan Bush, who died in 2023 at age 73, is through allowing the next generation to take up their work.

That includes herself, but it also includes students like the two honored at the event with awards named after Watkins and Bush.

After Bush’s death, Gandy and the center created the Ivan Bush Community Service Award to recognize young people for contributing to their communities, giving back and making a difference. Emmanuel Eberhardt, a Medical Lake High School student, was named the second recipient Monday.

Gandy said Eberhardt, the son of Black Lens editor April Eberhardt, is a member of the center’s teen leadership program and a valuable volunteer. She said Eberhardt can often be found lending a helping hand to those in need at the center, and that his “involvement is a testament to his dedication, service and commitment to the community.”

“He’s a little shocked, but truly an amazing, amazing student,” Gandy said. “I have just loved for over the past two years, having him spend his summers at the center with me.”

Genae Langford, who received the Bush award last year, was this year’s recipient of a scholarship in Watkins’ honor. Langford will graduate from Ferris High School in June and plans to study pharmacology at Washington State University.

Langford, with tears in her eyes, expressed her gratitude for being recognized by the center, which has played an influential role in her life, as well as the honor of being associated with figures as important as Bush and Watkins.

“I hope to make as much of an impact as Happy Watkins did,” Langford said.

As Gardner began her remarks, the inauguration of President Donald Trump was underway across the country in the other Washington. She referenced the event briefly, echoing remarks from the national president of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson.

“As we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy this year, we also stand at a crossroads,” Gardner said. “We are entering a new chapter in our nation’s history, one that calls for vigilance, action and unity.”

Gardner went on to say the NAACP has been fighting and advocating for marginalized Spokanites for more than 100 years, and that the organization will continue to do so in the years to come. She advised the crowd to keep their focus and efforts toward a better future focused locally, despite what may be going on at a national level.

“One of my favorite words is vigilance,” Gardner said. “We have to be vigilant all the time. Racism does not sleep. So when we are here today for Martin Luther King and it says, ‘make it a day on, not a day off,’ that’s not just today, but every day.”

Gandy shared a similar sentiment, saying her focus is on the work at hand, and not the unknowns associated with the next presidential administration.

“We’re just going to have to bind together as a community and as a state to be ready to protect and help one another out,” Gandy said.

For Spokane brothers Finley and Duo Pikula, attending the rally and march was equal parts a celebration of King’s life and legacy, but an outlet for some of the trepidation they feel about the incoming presidential administration.

“It’s very important to be here, as basic human rights are being infringed on right now,” Duo said.

Duo, 20, is concerned about climate change, the rights of his LGTBQ and immigrant friends and the “rise of fascism” he says seems to be getting more prevalent in America.

As a biracial man, Duo said he may have the luxury of avoiding the racism and prejudice he believes will become more widespread over the next four years, but his friends and family may not. He also worries for his brother Finley, a trans man.

“I’m very worried about them,” Duo said. “I know how they like to judge and hurt people based on them being different. This white supremacy is so disgusting.”

Finley said he feels at a crossroads for many of the communities Trump has directly and indirectly promised to come after.

“I feel like I have to defend my family and my rights and my friends’ rights,” Finley said.

The years ahead may become difficult to navigate, the brothers said, but they plan to do so together, and with some help from like-minded individuals wanting to speak up for the downtrodden.

“We have to band together,” Duo said. “We can’t give up. You can’t lay down and let them just trample over us. We have to fight for our rights as citizens and people.”