Martin Luther King Jr. Day lets us reflect on the work done by the civil rights leader and how to continue to honor his legacy.
Though King’s birthday was Jan. 15, his memory is federally recognized each year on the third Monday in January. This year, multiple service projects across Whatcom and Skagit counties will be happening on Jan. 20.
Here is a list of events, including presentations and opportunities to volunteer.
‘An Inconvenient Hero’ Address
6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207 Ellsworth St.
Clyde W. Ford, a local author and director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Publishing Project at HarperCollins, will discuss the history of MLK Jr. Day and the importance of King as an “inconvenient hero” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship (1207 Ellsworth St.).
There will also be a discussion with Miriam Karamoko, the executive director of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission, and the founders of the commission on how it’s trying to make King’s vision a reality.
Ford established Bellingham’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration in 1991 and has written numerous fiction and nonfiction books. He was a finalist for the 2023 Washington Center for the Book award.
United We Stand: Where Justice, Love and Freedom Prevail
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, Bellingham High School, 2020 Cornwall Ave.
Hosted by Western Washington University and sponsored by the Community Consortium for Cultural Recognition, attendees will have the opportunity to listen to a panel discussion before participating in a community service project from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18 at Bellingham High School.
The discussion, also at BHS, will feature guests such as Dr. William Jackson, director of Teaching and Learning at Bellevue School District and the 2024 Washington State Principal of the Year; Miriam Karamoko, the executive director of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission; opera singer Ibidunni Ojikutu; Sharaya Lane, executive director of Recovery Cafe; and Ian Garconette, a student at Whatcom Community College.
Attendees are encouraged to donate unopened, non-perishable food and hygiene items. Donations will go toward food pantries at Western, Bellingham Technical College, Whatcom Community College and Northwest Indian College.
The event is free to attend and breakfast will be provided.
Volunteer Work Party
12:30–3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, Squalicum Creek Park, 1001 Squalicum Way
Community members are invited to register for a work party from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Squalicum Creek Park. Volunteers will work with the City of Bellingham and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association to restore salmon habitat and water quality at Willow Spring.
MLK Jr. Day of Service with Habitat for Humanity
8:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, 4017 Todd Lane
Volunteers will spend the day at the Telegraph Townhomes, a 54-unit affordable housing project. Check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the townhome site (4017 Todd Lane). Lunch will be provided as will hot water for hot chocolate and tea, hand warmers, and a place to keep warm on site.
Registration is required in advance.
MLK Jr. Day Sign Painting Party
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, 3057 E. Bakerview Road
Hosted by Common Threads Farm from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 20, at the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association’s Campus (3057 E. Bakerview Road), volunteers will paint signs for school gardens. A community lunch will also be served. A discussion will take place afterward about how to remove barriers to volunteerism in school communities.
MLK Jr. Day of Service in Skagit County
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, SLT Day Creek Forest property
The Skagit Land Trust and Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group will host a work party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the SLT Day Creek Forest property. Volunteers will plant a mix of native conifers and shrubs as part of the effort to increase forest diversity and resiliency.
Community Food Co-Op MLK Jr. Day Event
7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207 Ellsworth St.
Join the Community Food Co-Op at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship (1207 Ellsworth St.) for live music and speakers, celebrating King’s notion of a “Beloved Community.”
Checo Tohomaso will be the musical guest throughout the evening. He previously played keyboards, and percussion, and provided backup vocals for Marvin Gaye’s last European tour. Tohomaso also serves as the director of VOC Sweet Soul Gospel Choir in Vancouver and Victoria Sweet Soul Choir in Victoria, British Columbia.
Dr. Sislena Grocer Ledbetter, the associate vice president of Counseling, Health and Wellbeing at Western, will be the keynote speaker. Lance Jones, the interim Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Youth Services, will be a special presenter and emcee for the evening.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
