virtual
Please join us at the 25th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Conference in January. Since its inception in 1999, thousands of community members have come together to renew their commitment to the ideals of peace, justice, and collective liberation that Dr. King held so dear. Dr. King was not alone in his fight for freedom, working with many other great leaders and community members, just as we must work together to build the beloved community he dreamed of. For the past 25 years, the Dr. King Conference has curated spaces for Whatcom County to learn, grow, and connect together, laying a foundation for dismantling white supremacy and creating a just and equitable world where everyone thrives.
The title of the 2023 conference is “From Divine Dissatisfaction to Joyful Liberation: How Do We Co-Create a Beloved Whatcom County?” This theme is taken from Dr. King’s sermon “Where Do We Go From Here?”, which he gave at the annual convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on August 16, 1967. Dr. King urges us to “go out with a divine dissatisfaction” to seek justice.
Here’s the schedule for this year’s events:
• Thursday evening, 1/12: We’ll start off with Poetry Night, inspired by the words of bell hooks and readings by local poets. Offered both in-person and live-streamed. (More info soon!)
• Friday evening, 1/13: Dr. Sislena Ledbetter will emcee the Keynote event, which features an opening ceremony led by Rev. Kelle Brown, tri-chair and theomusicologist for the Washington Poor People’s Campaign. For the keynote, we are excited and honored to have intersectional environmentalist thought leader Emily Pinckney join us for a live-streamed conversation on Environmental Justice, Intersectionality, and Community Centered Co-creation, facilitated by local environmental advocate Destiny Dunbar.
• Saturday, 1/14 all day: We will offer a full day of online workshops offered via Zoom again this year. Registration is required. https://whrtf.org/revdrking/2023-conference-schedule/
