The Martin Luther King celebration in Federal Way this year was one of the best we’ve ever had. And how exciting to have the honor of holding this annual Eevent at the PAEC for the first time.

The speakers were excellent. Mayor Ferrell honored Dr. Martin Luther King as a real man, a doctor of divinity, as well as a civil rights hero.

Dr. Martin Luther King brought us together.

Dr. Tammy Campbell challenged us, the good people, to stand up for each other and to see each other’s humanity and “right to life, their liberty, their pursuit of happiness.”

Dr. Tammy Campbell brought us together.

Erin Jones was awesome in her memorable, three lessons, aimed at the young people attending. 1. Take advantage of your educational opportunities. Be thankful that you get to go to school. 2. Say yes to opportunities. Step forward for any opportunity and grow into it to become an even better you. 3. The third lesson for all of us is to choose love. When you feel judgment, ” … I dare you to choose love and grace and mercy.”

Erin Jones brought us together.

We have a community of people who honestly care about each other. We have leaders and everyday citizens who come from diverse backgrounds with many ideas and passions.

Our strength is in our diversity of ideas and our dream-in common of being the masters of our fate and being the captains of our own soul.

It was Councilman Jesse Johnson who spoke the words of William Earnest Henley. Jesse challenged each individual to work on self mastery, overcoming any adversity and having the courage to succeed.

Jesse Johnson brought us together.

There is no limit to the people in Federal Way who want the best education for your children as they want for their kids. There is no end to the neighbors in Federal Way, who want the full range of opportunities for your family as they want for their own.

The MLK event ended with an affirming joyous song. How appropriate to have the Thomas Jefferson High School choir chorus singing “we are blessed. We are blessed.”

Unity is powerful. Let nothing divide us.

Maureen Bernardy, Federal Way