Martin Luther King Jr.'s message of nonviolent civil disobedience and togetherness still resonates with two Central Lakes College students.
King was a powerful man because of the way he stood up for what he believed in, Lamontrell Fuller said. He never stopped pushing for what he believed in, he said, but he didn't resort to violence to spur the change he sought.
"Always kill 'em with kindness," Fuller said. "Always stand up for yourself."
If it wasn't for what King did, Osirus Washington wouldn't have been able to leave his diverse home in Brooklyn Park and come to Brainerd, which is 95 percent white, according to census data.
"Just to be accepted in two different worlds," Washington said. "That was from Martin Luther King taking on the initiative and trying to do better for his people."
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Fuller is from Indianapolis and he said people in Brainerd welcome CLC students who aren't from the are, and they make the transplants comfortable.
King worked hard to bring people of all races into the civil rights movement, Washington said, and didn't turn people away if they wanted to help. His great-grandmother lived through the Civil Rights era, he said, and she tells stories about what it felt like seeing King on TV.
Washington's grandmother saw King as the perfect public figure, he said, as someone who always did the right thing when the spotlight was on him. But like everyone else, he said, King had his flaws.
"Now as I'm older I understand he was a person just like us," Washington said.
Washington and Fuller both learned a lot about King and other civil rights era leaders in school. "Selma," which came out in 2014, was a powerful movie, Fuller said, and did a good job portraying the struggles King went through. On Monday, he'll probably watch it again, he said, and Washington will join him.
To recognize the holiday Monday, CLC's campuses are closed with no activities scheduled. Brainerd Public Schools will hold a teacher in-service day Monday and classes will not be in session.
On Monday, Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith will be joined by keynote speaker Caroline Wanga, chief diversity officer, vice president of diversity and inclusion, Target Corporation; and the Governor's Council on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, for a statewide celebration of King's life and legacy.
"We must continue the work that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began over 60 years ago. It begins with a reaffirmation of our commitment to equal rights, opportunities, and justice for all," Dayton said in a news release. "I encourage all Minnesotans to join us on Jan. 16, as we honor past civil rights leaders and renew our commitment to a better future."
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According to a news release, Wanga is responsible for developing strategies, initiating action and driving organizational change in support of Target's diversity and inclusion priorities, as part of Target's corporate social responsibility initiatives.
According to a news release, every year since 1986, the Governor's Council on Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday has hosted a statewide event commemorating the holiday and celebrating King's legacy of equal rights and opportunity.
The celebration takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul. The theme of this year's celebration is "The time is always right to do what is right."
