There is nothing better than a long weekend. You are sure to find plenty of fun Bellingham weekend events to fill your three days of freedom, but what better way to spend that time than by honoring Martin Luther King Jr? You could pitch in at a service project, learn something new, improve yourself or help uplift a neighbor. Here are a couple thoughts from the man himself to get you motivated.
“Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of dedicated individuals.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Oberlin College Commencement.
“Without hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So we must help time and realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. in a letter from Birmingham City Jail.
“Sooner or later, all the peoples of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. in his Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech.
In that spirit, here are a few ideas of what you can do to follow in MLK’s impressive footsteps this weekend:
- Attend the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Conference at Whatcom Community College. The theme will be “Working Passionately and Unrelentingly for Justice.” You’ll get to take part in workshops facilitated by community educators and activists and leave inspired to take up the mantel of leadership and activism in your own life.
- Experience the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at City Hall. You’ll get to enjoy musical entertainment by Kulshan Chorus and hear from local author and civil rights activist Clyde Ford, Lummi Nation Member Darrell Hillaire, Mayor Kelli Linville, Nina Damina Khaira Ahmed and Victoria Matey.
- Flex your brain muscles, build strategy and improve reasoning with a few rounds of chess at the Bellingham Chess & Coffee Meetup. All ages and skill levels are welcome to come play the world’s most strategic game.
- Expand your mind and your verbal skills at Socrates Cafe. Participants will gather at Village Books to address questions utilizing the Socratic Dialogue. Simply put, this is a search for truth by questioning, probing, defining terms and clarifying meanings of important, complex questions.
- Change starts with you and one of the most important changes you can make is to improve your health. To that end, stop by the Health Fair at Whole Foods Market. Here you will have the opportunity to meet and chat with a wide array of health businesses and organizations who can educate and set you up for success.
- Help clean up the beach at Semiahmoo Spit. This event is being hosted by RE Sources for Sustainable Communities’ AmeriCorps-Washington Service Corps member and Western Washington University club Students for the Salish Sea in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
- Get inspired by some of the many activists working to bring positive change to Whatcom County like Habitat for Humanity, Trout Unlimited, Northwest Youth Services, Lighthouse Mission Ministries, Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, and many more.
Don’t forget to check out our full calendar for all the happenings in Whatcom County this weekend.
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