About 300 people packed into Seed of Faith Ministries and dozens more stood outside before taking a community walk through the Grant neighborhood Monday afternoon, celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and calling for peace in Salem.
The community celebration and peace march was a way to bring Salem residents together and “tear down that wall of fear and unknown” to make the city a more welcoming and inclusive place for everyone, according to Salem Vice President Ashley Dunn -Keizer NAACP .
From start to finish, positivity was in the air. Participants seemed to enjoy the shared sense of community as they came together, driven by their own motivation for a common goal of peace.
The event was a continuation of a collaborative effort by Salem-area law enforcement, community organizations and service providers to reduce deadly violence that has increased in the city in recent years.
Several local leaders attended, including Oregon Senator Deb Patterson, Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack and Salem-Keizer School District Superintendent Andrea Castañeda.
A local youth group, Girl Power, opened the event with a praise dance. Remarks followed from RJ Hampton, president of the local NAACP chapter.
“This is a call to action. Not just for ourselves, but for our community as a whole. If there’s a time we need each other, it’s now,” Hampton said. “I stand here today and look each of you in the eyes, begging you, asking you, challenging you, daring you to serve one and all.”
He encouraged attendees to not only meet new people during the event, but to leave the event with a plan to “get up, get out and get active.”
“Dr. King did not dream of making America “great again.” Now is the time for us to make America great, period,” he said.
And then they marched, making a nearly mile loop around the neighborhood.
Passing firefighters honked from their trucks, showing their support for the crowd. At the corner of Northeast Summer Street and Hood Street, a family of four held a black and white sign that read “Peace” and a heart.
Christine Young, a recently retired art therapist, said she was trying to find new meaning in her life. She remembered her first peace walk in 1972.
Monday's event coincided with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Young said the recent election has her concerned about potential impacts on people of color and immigrant communities.
She felt compelled to participate in the peace walk to contribute to her community. “It would be better if I at least made an effort. I can’t just let this go,” she said.
LJ Anderson of Salem said King's legacy of fighting for the underdog and his sacrifice live on. She said she was pleased with the large turnout for the peace walk.
“I think we have to stay committed even if we don’t know the outcome,” she said.
John Dipierro said his children would have been at the event if they didn't have to work. He still came alone and wanted to show his support and help keep King's dream alive.
Dipierro said he believes the United States is fair and righteous. He recalled a quote from King who said, “We will not be satisfied until justice flows down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
“We still have a lot of work to do,” Dipierro said.
Keizer resident Esperance Kouka said he attended the event in honor of what he said was a historic day. “Justice and peace are very important to me and today is about celebrating justice and peace,” he said.
Peace walks have been held weekly throughout Salem for the past few months, with another planned for this Saturday, January 25, in the Highland neighborhood.
Dates and times for upcoming walks are listed on the Salem Leadership Foundation website.
After the march ended, a smaller but dedicated group strolled back into the church to participate in a discussion led by Kyle Dickinson, executive director of the Leadership Foundation, and Ray White, chairman of the board of the BE-BLAC Foundation and head of the Inclusive Leadership coaching program was run with intention.
Dickinson told the crowd that the walks were a way to be present in places affected by violence and “discover the beauty of these places that historically have been categorized very differently.”
He asked the crowd to talk in small groups about how they felt participating in the peace walk.
“The fact that we can come together felt affirming to me,” one audience member said to the crowd. But he said walking on the street won't make a difference “if we don't do the work every day.”
White then asked the crowd to discuss how the event shaped their perspective.
After a brief discussion, a woman asked how the church could participate in similar meetings more frequently. “I am very hopeful. I’m grateful to be here,” she said.
Another woman said on behalf of her small group that she loved seeing people from different backgrounds come together for the Peace March. “We all just felt like we were really proud of the community,” she said.
Dickinson said when people walk together, have conversations and socialize, “the health of the community improves.”
“People are starting to trust each other. Violence is decreasing. We have to keep the conversation going,” he said. “We must continue to commit to going to places where we can see and connect with another person, no matter where we are or what is going on within us. We need to be able to find each other, talk to each other and look each other in the eyes, ask good questions and listen and connect.”
Womack, the Salem police chief, said in an interview that the peace walks create a positive presence in neighborhoods.
He said reflecting on the meaning of King's legacy intersects with ongoing work toward community peace and reducing violence.
“I always feel encouraged when I see people come together like this and feel the sense of community,” he said. “Planning and participating in a peace walk brings people together, you meet new people and build new relationships, and that strengthens the community.”
Pastor Ronnie Brooks of To God Be the Glory Church concluded the event with a blessing.
“Lord, let us not go home and return to our silos. But father, let’s go out and start a conversation,” he said.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has been covering criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. An Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has crisscrossed the state. He has reported for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.