Hundreds gather in Albuquerque to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Jan. 13—As i travel along

If i can help somebody, with a word or song

If I can help somebody, from doing wrong

No, my living shall not be in vain.

The decades-old lyrics of Mahalia Jackson were echoed for the hundreds who gathered inside the Albuquerque Convention Center as they honored the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

They had marched east down King's namesake avenue from the University of New Mexico on Saturday morning, chanting, cheering and waving signs. Those footsteps ended in a Downtown convention center ballroom, where Black leaders spoke about King's relevance to current affairs and how his lessons carry through to today.

Bishop David Cooper, with New Hope Full Gospel Baptist Church, uttered the lyrics of Jackson — a civil rights activist and singer who helped pave the way for the success of Black gospel music during segregation — to urge unity.

"As an individual, you must remember this, that our living is nothing unless others are blessed by it. We are not here because King breathes but because every breath he took, and every step he took, he took it for his beloved community," Cooper said to a wave of applause, cheers and "amen" from the crowd.

"And this is where we start the worldwide elimination of poverty and hunger and all forms of bigotry and violence. At its core, the beloved community is an engine of reconciliation. So start your engines."

Many of those seated in the ballroom wore shirts with King's face on them as the event volleyed from inspirational speeches to sing-along hymns, some of which were sung by King so long ago. During the latter, the crowd's swaying and dancing appeared to make the entire room bounce along.

Mayor Tim Keller, who marched and spoke briefly, spurred a standing ovation for Nichole Rogers, the first Black city councilor in Albuquerque's history.

"It's terrible that it's taken too long," Keller said, "but when we do break through that ceiling, we have to acknowledge it."

Cooper, one of several speakers, said the day was about unity of all people, no matter the color of their skin. He said it was about calling out injustice across the world, specifically referencing Ukraine and Palestine.

Cooper said institutions in general — from "the U.S. Capitol steps to the church altar" — had gained a reputation of distrust. He asked the crowd: Which ones can you trust?

But he said, "I will tell you there is a difference" between the Salvation Army and the Proud Boys, between the Klu Klux Klan and the historically Black colleges and universities.

"The courage to start institutions is always found in the core of an individual idea," Cooper said. "... But it starts with me, 'I, me, myself and mine' are words that empower, but they are also words that can weaken, can cause war, or worse."

Pastor David Walker of Antioch Baptist Church said it may have been the largest crowd he's seen in his 25 years marching for the occasion in Albuquerque.

He said it comes at a time when he and many others are "displeased with what has taken place in the world," citing division among races and people in general.

"I think it goes totally against what Dr. King taught," Walker said. "We've come a long way but you can see we've got a long way to go."

Event attendee Claranita Williams said she believed issues that came about during the pandemic were "a big setback" for the gains made by the civil rights movement. She said the movement needed to reclaim that progress to address equality and economic disparities, particularly in New Mexico.

"I still have hope, I think (King) would encourage us to keep working," Williams said. "I think this (celebration) is awesome. It keeps his dream alive and the work that we still need to do."