A diverse crowd of about 45 people, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens, gathered at Civic Space Park in downtown Phoenix Monday afternoon to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
“Dr. King's dream is no longer a dream,” downtown Phoenix resident and public speaker Y. Nelson Thomas told the assembled crowd. “This is our reality.”
The Eat, Dream, Share event outside of Fair Trade Café was one of many events put on by nonprofit organization HandsOn Greater Phoenix throughout the weekend.
HandsOn Greater Phoenix volunteer Sharifa Rowe organized the event, the first of many planned efforts with the Civic Space Park Collaboration.
“We’re providing people with a voice to talk about how they’ve been inspired by (King),” she said.
Thomas, who acted as the emcee for the event, read inspiring poems, including Rudyard Kipling’s “If” and called people forward to discuss their thoughts on King and his followers.
ASU alumna Annie Woods, a volunteer with a poverty-combating service organization called AmeriCorps VISTA, said Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an important time to connect with the community.
“Everyone is so divided right now, so it’s days like these when everyone comes together,” Woods said.
In addition to the open microphone, attendees brought baked goods to share, wrote their hopes for the community and drew with chalk on the sidewalk by the park. Face painting was also available.
The wishes on the “Community Visions” board all centered around building a stronger sense of unity among Phoenix residents.
Many people, including HandsOn Greater Phoenix volunteer Theresa Martinez, brought their young children to the event.
Martinez said she wanted her children to learn about King, who has long been important to her life.
“It’s changed for me over time,” Martinez said. “When I was younger, this day was all about political activism, but now it’s more about building community.”
Most of the children present spent time drawing with chalk, and HandsOn Greater Phoenix volunteer Vincent David Pendarvis II joined them.
Pendarvis drew a picture of himself in his U.S. Air Force uniform among the hearts, flowers and stick figures left by the children. He said the Civil Rights movement impacts him in both his civilian and military life.
“(King) affects me in every aspect of my life,” Pendarvis said. “The most amazing part is that everything he did is for other people.”
Reach the reporter at julia.shumway@asu.edu or follow @JMShumway on Twitter.
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