By Gen Heywood | FāVS News Reporter
Click here to listen to The Religion Desk, FāVS new podcast, which features an audio version of Spokane’s MLK Day story by Jason Jones.
Hundreds gathered in downtown Spokane on Monday to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with a powerful message: stop treating him like a memory and start treating him like a mission.
The 52nd annual MLK Day Rally and March, led by Grant Elementary School for the 26th consecutive year under director Kevin Cope, brought together diverse communities of faith, youth groups, civic organizations and concerned citizens who called for action on issues ranging from voting rights to immigration justice. Speakers challenged participants to embrace discomfort, bridge divisions and stand against injustice in their communities.
Melissa Mace, clinical social worker and founder of Discovery Counseling Group, shared words of hope and encouragement as she spoke about the ancestors who made this day possible for her.
“Today, I challenge you to embrace discomfort, ask difficult questions and seek genuine understanding of those who are different from you,” Mace said as she was also recognized as the first executive director of Spokane NAACP.
“Strive to be a good neighbor, to show up, to help as help as you are needed. Remember, we are all family. Do not let destruction continue to divide and destroy our community. Stand with us, choose love, knowledge and dignity, and work,” Mace continued.
Spokane’s first Miss Juneteenth, Anesa Whacha, spoke to the crowd about her faith. She encouraged everyone to look to the needs of their neighbors and families.
“We are not here today to fight, we are here to build,” Whacha told the crowd and encouraged the audience to remember.
The Holy Temple Church of God in Christ’s Youth Department received the Ivan Bush Service Award for their collecting food for the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center. Freda Gandy described how the last few months have been hard on families.
“We experienced a time where people did not get their food stamp benefits, and that some of you know, we run a food bank. So I did tons of appeals to the community, to build our shelves with food so that we can give it out to people in the community,” Gandy described. “Well, a lot of you took that challenge and dropped off so much food to us.”
One of those groups was the Holy Temple’s Youth Department’s young people, who held a food drive in their church and continued to do so beyond the initial call.
Ivan Bush’s family encouraged the kids and shared their pride.
This is Grant Elementary School’s 52nd year to lead Spokane’s MLK Day March. It is the 26th year for director Kevin Cope and the 14th year for fifth grade teacher Joelene Garland.
“This group was originally started to bring out the culture in positive ways for students of color, but we incorporate everyone. We have kids from Marshall Islands, various African countries and right here in good old Spokane, and they all get to learn from each other and learn and enjoy,” Garland said when asked about the history of the group.
Eastern Washington Sociology Professor Pui-Yam Lam, who has been part of Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR), summarized her participation with the 2026 MLK Day Rally and March by highlighting current injustices.
“The fight for justice is an ongoing work,” she said while noting the current immigration experiences for thousands in America since the 2024 election.
“It is good that others are waking up to the conditions of our country,” she said.
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