Marchers celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.

As part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, people gathered at Idaho State University in Pocatello to march and celebrate the day. Some carried signs, brought their dogs, and chanted support.

“What is so beautiful is that even when perhaps what gets all the time in the media is the heartache, what’s really really happening here is people from every walk of life, every path, are coming together to celebrate and to show solidarity,” Jenny Peek, Pastor at Pocatello Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, said.

People from all different backgrounds were marching together. One marcher says it’s great to see her hometown showing people can move forward from the past.

“Well I think it’s always important that we remember where we come from,” Rainey Boateng, a Pocatello native, said. “And we retrace our steps so that we can have a better future and just do the things that we need to do to make sure that everyone is represented and happy and has a place in our society and feels that they belong.”

Some people used the event not only to march for Martin Luther King Jr, but also to protest problems they believe the country is facing right now.

“The silence from our congressional delegation is deafening right now,” Sue Skinner, Pocatello resident, said. “There’s so many things going on that are hurtful and harmful in our nation that Martin Luther King represents love. And I think love trumps hatred.”

The marchers hope the event will be a symbol of solidarity and an example of how to move forward.

“It’s extremely important because history can repeat itself,” Boateng said. “So it’s important that we remember where we have come from and know that we can do better in the future. And then, it’s a very diverse group here. So it’s just wonderful to see all different peoples from different ethnicities and walks of life together and walking together and making that statement that we are stronger together.”

The ROTC led the march, which ended at the Stephens Performing Arts Center where they heard from a speaker.