EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso community took time to pause, remember and honor the legacy of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On the national holiday marking his legacy on Monday, Jan. 19, El Pasoans gathered at the McCall Neighborhood Center in Central El Paso.
Mayor Renard Johnson speaking on MLK Day at the McCall Neighborhood Center on Monday, Jan. 19.
The center, at 3231 E. Wyoming, hosted its annual luncheon and celebration in King’s honor.
Among the speakers was El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson, El Paso’s first Black mayor.
Johnson told the gathering that King “taught us that progress requires courage and justice requires action.”
Gregg Davis, president of the Board of Directors for the McCall center, said that the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is “unparalleled.”
Gregg Davis
The day is meant to remember Dr. King, Davis said, but also to take action and give back to the community in his memory.
One way the McCall Neighborhood Center does that is by collecting canned food to give to the less fortunate, Davis said. This was started by the late city Rep. Carl Robinson, who spearheaded canned good drives in King’s memory for years.
“The message is to help people in need,” Davis said.
For many people, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not a day off from work or school, but a “day on,” a day to help make the community a better place as befitting King’s life and legacy.
Robbie Kennebrew
Robbie Kennebrew said it is important for young people to understand the impact of King.
“I hope that children can understand the impact that one person can make,” she said. “It doesn’t take a lot of people or a huge coalition of folks. Just one person doing something positive can make a change for the better, not just for themselves but for society as a whole.
“I want them to understand generational impact, and they are a vital part of making life better,” Kennebrew said.
Zara Muojieje
Zara Muojieje, a sixth-grader, said she was “grateful” for what King did during his life.
“He stood up for Black people’s rights,” she said. “I believe many people are following his footsteps. I think it is awesome that he had the courage and strength to go protest about Black people’s rights. I think it is really cool he did all that.”
As part of the celebration, a “little free library” was dedicated at the McCall center.
“Little free library” dedicated at the McCall Neighborhood Center
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