Although Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated over 40 years ago, his legacy continues to be honored by Everett Community College. A large banner bearing the Everett Community College logo was head of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. march. Other creative signs followed as fellow marchers filled the streets with color on the typically gray Washington morning.

Before the march began, Reginald Gillins of The Boeing Company reminded the crowd of the reason they gathered by reading King's speech that is now remembered as the "I Have a Dream Speech."

Listening to the familiar words was Teresa Rugg, a mom from Snohomish who has made the march a family tradition.

"Martin Luther King is a person who inspires me to the core," says Rugg. "This is a chance to be creative with signs and our voices - to share with our community how important it is to keep his values [the same values] that a lot of the United States still holds today."

Originally the MLK March was an activity organized and led by EvCC Students, faculty, and staff and held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. At the time, EvCC gathered a large crowd. Over five years ago, the City of Everett invited EvCC to combine the event with the city's Community Celebration event in hopes of drawing more people together, and the date for the march and celebration was moved from MLK Day.

As business owners and pedestrians looked on, the crowd chanted, "you are - somebody," and "What do we want? - Justice! When do we want it? - Now!"

Chanting right along was Christina Castorena, who works in the Diversity and Equity center on the EvCC campus with Janice Lovelace. Both served on the MLK Committee, responsible for organizing the event.

"Its important [for Everett Community College] to have a presence at the march because we still have some of those lasting effects from the past." says Castorena. "As an educational institution we should be finding ways to solve those issues."

The march came to an end at the Everett Events Center. Everyone gathered inside for the community celebration program where social activist, and keynote speaker, Bill Grace challenged the freshly exercised audience to make this country a place where "liberty and justice for all" truly means all.