The atmosphere was hopeful at the 39th Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Friday, even as the nation prepared for the inauguration of a president criticized by civil rights groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Hundreds gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center for the event, where Gov. Katie Hobbs revisited highlights from her State of the State address, and several individuals were honored for their contributions to social justice.
This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincides with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
“What a blessing it is to know that on Monday, when we celebrate Dr. King’s birth again, there will be a peaceful transition of the presidents of the United States,” Pastor Warren Stewart said during the opening prayer. “How wonderful, how hopeful, how optimistic that is that there will be no violence. There will be no guns, there will be no pain, there will be no injuries, there will be no death.”
Hobbs spoke about “The Arizona Promise,” saying childcare must be more affordable and buying a house more attainable.
“Now more than ever, we must take action to support the working families who built this state into what it is today,” she said.
She remarked that her “greatest hope is that the next administration, like all elected officials, will remember the words of Dr. King and live up to the values that he stood for.”
During Trump’s 2020 term, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson stated, “The racism and anti-Black agenda that continues to permeate out of this current White House is a danger to our democracy, livelihood, and safety.”
Trump has also faced criticism for recent comments made on the campaign trail, including claims that Black voters would support him because of his criminal indictments and remarks questioning whether Kamala Harris is Black or Indian.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black,” he said at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.
Trump made modest gains among Black people this election, largely from men. About a quarter of Black men voted for him, while just 9% of Black women did, according to data published by the Associated Press.
Among white people, 60% of men and 53% of women chose Trump.
Diante Johnson, president of the Black Conservative Federation, said the Democratic Party has taken advantage of Black people and that life was better under Trump’s administration.
Mayor Kate Gallego was absent from the Phoenix celebration as she attended the United States Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Event organizers played a short video message from the mayor, welcoming attendees and congratulating the award recipients.
George Flores, who has held executive roles in several Valley cities, was honored with the Calvin C. Goode Award. Named after the Phoenix civil rights leader and councilman, the award recognizes individuals who enhance Phoenix by advancing social and economic justice and promoting dignity for all.
“We face today in this country and in this world so many difficult challenges that unless we all recommit ourselves to his dream, those problems will never go away,” Flores said. “I’m also of the opinion that if we had embraced those dreams, Monday we’d have a women president.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 39th MLK celebration highlights hope as Trump takes office