As we marched and celebrated with so many others in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. last Monday, one word, in particular, stood out to us: community.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

We were honored to join thousands of people in celebrating MLK Jr.’s life, legacy, and vision at Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition‘s annual day of events held at Garfield High School. As we paid tribute to MLK Jr.’s legacy, we were reminded that the fight for social justice and racial equality is far from over.

Two-thirds of youth experiencing homelessness in our community are youth of color. To solve youth homelessness, we must address this disproportionality. We must push ourselves to acknowledge, name, and work to dismantle systems of oppression, including institutionalized racism and white supremacy. We must also show up and stand in solidarity with Black and Brown people—including our fellow community members, staff of color, and youth of color.

At the rally held before the march, we listened to inspiring leaders of social justice in our community—from those who have been enacting change for years like Councilmember Larry Gossett, to women leaders of color like Aneela Afzali, who continue to inspire a new generation of youth to follow in the honorable steps of Dr. King.

Each speaker, poet, dancer, and singer who took the stage energized us with hope.

Though the weather forecasted rain through most of the afternoon, we only felt a light drizzle as marched from the streets of Central District down to City Hall in Pioneer Square.

We had an incredible day filled with community and hope. Thank you to the Seattle MLK Jr. Coalition and everyone who went for sharing it with us!