A Walk for Unity in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, people in Grand Forks are gathering to celebrate his work.

The 2016 Red River Valley MLK Celebration kicks off with a Unity Walk in downtown Grand Forks.

Organizers of the MLK celebration say today means so much more than just honoring Martin Luther King Jr., but celebrating his legacy that we still see today.

Community members and organizations walk in unity, setting a replica of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous March on Washington.

Organizers say the celebration is about honoring civil right movements of the past, present and future.

“There’s a lot that is happening in our nation in our world internationally. It lets us know that we should continue to celebrate civil rights, and remember the sacrifices that people did before us and the sacrifices that people still make today,” said Dr. Malika Carter Director of Multicultural Services at UND.

Organizers and people in today’s celebration say honoring Martin Luther King Day is more than just celebrating race equality, but identity too.

They say Dr. King’s work has paved the way and bringing light to the different forms of discrimination.

“Identity based on race is a very important and long standing issue, however identity based on a lot of different other factors veterans, poverty,” said Dr. Carter.

One UND student we spoke to says an example of that is being able to identify with others on more than just race.

“The fact that I don’t see a lot of visual representation of people that look like me, I can see find a greater quantity of folks that might have other interest I might have,” said Lauren Chapple President of the UND Black Student Association.

While expressing his gratitude through dance, another student says it’s an honor just to be a part of his legacy.

“MLK was a big contribution to society and me just being here as somebody who can help contribute to this case and live on the legacy that is why I’m doing this today,” said Ian Rwebemeera student at UND.

The MLK program also featured speeches, a piano selection and the reading of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream Speech.”