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SALT LAKE CITY — Notable figures and groups across Utah are remembering the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with events and tributes to the civil rights icon.
Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commemorated the life of King in social media posts Monday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"The Book of Mormon teaches that 'black and white, bond and free, male and female … all are alike unto God,'" Nelson said on social media. "May God continue to bless us as we labor together to abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice."
Events took place throughout Utah on Monday to remember King, with marches in Ogden and Salt Lake City. The Ogden chapter of the NAACP held a march Monday morning that went from the Marshall White Center to the Ogden Amphitheater, followed by a service project of giving out coats and shoes to children.
"Dr. King said it's always the right time to do what's right," Betty Sawyer, president of the NAACP's Ogden chapter, told KSL-TV. "Dr. King talked about that great dream and so when we see people come out, it's reaffirming. We have work to do but I think we have a will to do the work."
The Salt Lake City branch of the NAACP held its 38th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Luncheon downtown. Speakers for the event included Reginald M. Turner, Jr., president of the American Bar Association, who gave a virtual talk.
S. Floyd Mori — born and raised in the Salt Lake area and a longstanding advocate for the advancement of Asian American communities — received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award during the luncheon.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson received the Rosa Parks Award from the NAACP Salt Lake branch. On the group's website, the NAACP wrote that Wilson "has spent much of her time in office addressing the health, community, and economic impacts of COVID in Salt Lake County ... Additionally, Mayor Wilson has prioritized criminal justice reform, growth management, environmental concerns and has fought for justice and equality for all."
Monday afternoon, a rally began at East High School before marching to Kingsbury Hall as part of the University of Utah's MLK Day celebration and its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week, themed "Becoming the Beloved Community." Among those who were set to attend were Wilson and representatives from Gov. Spencer Cox's office.
"I think it's representative of the goodwill that's in our community," University of Utah President Taylor Randall said of the march. "It's great to see the individuals come together to put some collective action into what we stand for as a community."
"We all must do our part to lift the world from the 'quicksands of racial injustice.'"
— SLC Mayor's Office of Equity & Inclusion (@SLCOEI) January 18, 2022
See below @slcmayor's proclamation declaring January 17, 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Remembrance in Salt Lake City pic.twitter.com/PNKcf6WY9f
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2022 as a day of remembrance in Salt Lake City. In the proclamation, she said, "While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream has not yet been fully realized, it is my hope and belief that together, we can make his dream come true in our lifetimes — not just in Salt Lake City, but everywhere. We must all do our part to lift the world from the 'quicksands of racial injustice.'"
Contributing: Matt Rascon
