Grace Tevaseu for Horizons
By Grace Tevaseu, Correspondent
On Jan. 7, 2022, at 10:00 AM MST, the Prescott community hosted a march and celebration in support of the nationally recognized holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The march started at the Prescott College Welcome Center and snaked through the Downtown Square, finishing up at the Prescott United Methodist Church.
The march drew a large crowd, and the police blocked off portions of Whiskey Row for the procession to continue undisturbed as more and more people gathered. Those marching were carrying numerous flags and signs for equality and voting rights. “It was nice to see people out and participating, especially the kids. For Prescott, the effort was good,” senior Alisa Michel noted.
People of all walks of life could be seen in this march, young and old, men and women, professionals and students, cowboys and hikers. Everyone walked in sync to the monotonous tone of the beat of the drums. Respect and solidarity was in the air, a shared appreciation and awe of the work and progress of the great man honored on this special day.
At the Methodist church post-march, the celebration commenced with singing, food, spoken words, proclamation readings, and music. Of particular interest was a performance from a piano and saxophone duo. Their beautiful flows and classical harmonies highlighted and clearly expressed their feelings and passion for the movement MLK advocated for.
Engineering student Jacob Wolf agreed, “I was captivated by Pastor Kimberly Scott’s message about how Dr. King’s dream is alive, but hasn’t been fully realized yet. We need to keep working to create ‘a more perfect Union,’ and all of us can help in that fight.” Wolf went on to say that Scott’s “words were a great cap to the day’s events, and I hope people can take her passion and use it to create tangible change in our communities.”
Not only did Dr. King march for civil rights change in 1963, but he has inspired so many more to continue to fight for what is right. His legacy for a just democracy is never ending. In a 1956 sermon given by Dr. King, he states that “change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom.”
Dr. King’s family echoes this sentiment, and during a march in Washington, D.C. they asked for “no celebration without legislation,” in regards to congressional consideration on The Freedom to Vote Act and the The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Hearing their cry, Prescott’s United Methodist Church Pastor related the King’s call to executables and actions the Prescott community can practice, requiring acts of service from all of us. The continuous fight for justice offers no exclusions.
