♪ It's a special Inland Sessions Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Featuring Spokane musicians, singers and poets It's a special presentation honoring Dr. King now on Inland Sessions Kiantha: Thank you for joining us tonight as local artists come together to honor the spirit, mission, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. My name is Kiantha Duncan and I am so glad you have joined us on such a special night of community with talented local voices who have come to speak their truth, through their varied artforms.

Dr. Martin Luther King was raised with music in the home and church, respecting its transformative power and ability create rich shared experience.

We hope you enjoy.

[JANESE HOWARD- "RISE UP"] ♪ You're broken down and tired ♪ ♪ Of living life on a merry go round ♪ ♪ And you can't find the fighter ♪ ♪ But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out ♪ ♪ And move mountains ♪ ♪ We gonna walk it out ♪ ♪ And move mountains ♪ ♪ And I'll rise up ♪ ♪ I'll rise like the day ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ I'll rise unafraid ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ And I'll do it a thousand times again ♪ ♪ And I'll rise up ♪ ♪ High like the waves ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ In spite of the ache ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ And I'll do it a thousand times again ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ When the silence isn't quiet ♪ ♪ And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe ♪ ♪ And I know you feel like dying ♪ ♪ But I promise we'll take the world to its feet ♪ ♪ And move mountains ♪ ♪ Bring it to its feet ♪ ♪ And move mountains ♪ ♪ And I'll rise up ♪ ♪ I'll rise like the day ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ I'll rise unafraid ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ And I'll do it a thousand times again ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ All we need, all we need is hope ♪ ♪ And for that we have each other ♪ ♪ And for that we have each other ♪ ♪ And we will rise ♪ ♪ We will rise ♪ ♪ We'll rise, oh, oh ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ Rise like the day ♪ ♪ I'll rise up ♪ ♪ In spite of the ache ♪ ♪ I will rise a thousand times again ♪ ♪ And we'll rise up ♪ ♪ High like the waves ♪ ♪ We'll rise up ♪ ♪ And we'll do it a thousand times again ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ This year the King Family asked that today not be merely a celebration of their father and grandfather, but invited us to engage in direct action to protect voting rights for citizens across the U.S. Two years after his historic March from Selma to Montgomery, and passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Dr, King said that despite those "significant strides, we must be eternally vigilant .. there is still work that must be done."

Here now is Latrice Williams with her interpretation of the struggle for voting rights expressed in the gospel song, "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired" [LATRICE WILLIAMS - "I DON'T FEEL NO WAYS TIRED" [Phone Rings] Oh I've been waitin' on this call Fletchers Why yes yes I'm looking to register to vote Why yes I'm a woman Well I sound colored because I am colored I'm a colored woman that's right listen I don't want to hear the excuses are you gonna allow me to register or not Yes yes it's 1964 You know I'm not going to give up here [hangs up phone] ♪ ♪ "I don'’t feel no ways tired.

I've come too far from where I ♪ ♪ started from.

Nobody told me that the road would be easy and ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me ♪ ♪ "I don'’t feel no ways tired.

I've come too far from where I ♪ ♪ started from.

Nobody told me that the road would be easy and ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me ♪ ♪ "I don'’t feel no ways tired.

I've come too far from where I ♪ ♪ started from.

Nobody told me that the road would be easy and ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me ♪ ♪ "I don'’t feel no ways tired.

I've come too far from where I ♪ ♪ started from.

Nobody told me that the road would be easy and ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me ♪ ♪ ♪ I just can't give up now ♪ ♪ I've come too far from where I started from ♪ ♪ Nobody told me that the road would be easy and ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me ♪ ♪ I just can't give up now ♪ ♪ I've come too far from where I started from ♪ ♪ Nobody told me that the road would be easy and ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far ♪ ♪ I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me ♪ to leave me to leave me For over 100 years the NAACP has been helping us have difficult conversations about race in America, and worked directly with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. including the organization of 1963's "March on Washington" where he improvised his most famous speech, "I Have a Dream".

Dr. King was inspired to speak of his dreams by the poetry of Langston Hughes.

Stephy Nobles-Beans is a Spokane author and poet who will share three of her poems with us.

[STEPHY NOBLES-BEANS] This first poem is titled Ocean of Chocolate I love the ocean, this is dedicated to my people around the world and of course I'm a chocolate girl, so here we go I dived into my ocean of chocolate.

Swam to Nimbia and Zimbabwe.

Serenity invaded my soul.

I swam with perfection, Smooth and agile.

When I came up for air it was so refreshing.

In my ocean of chocolate I backstroked to Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Republic of Congo.

There was no competition for the finish line.

For everyone was of importance.

Applause for everyone and everywhere.

I dived into my ocean of chocolate - swam to Gambia and Botswana copper ginger and hazelnut brown were the plankton.

The deeper I swam, the more I swam - chocolate embraced me the more.

As I backstroked to Ethiopia and Liberia and Madagascar, my mind was taken to the depths of ocean floors of chocolate.

Strengthened by my people, faces so surreal, colors so magnificent, I wanted to swim and swim and forever.

Waves of Morocco brown Tonga cinnamon Eritrea mocha and chocolate 20 feet high crashing down while I held on.

And the impact of love caught me in the swirl of things and soothed my soul.

I never wanted to swim to shore again.

This next poem is titled, "Bless the Child" ♪ Momma may have, ♪ ♪ Papa may have, ♪ ♪ But god bless the child ♪ ♪ that's got its own.

♪ When I think back awhile on the denying of a people of hue makes me think: ìwhat's a child to do?

Because momma did not have Papa did not have Yet god blessed in the midst of others mess 'cause I didn't have my own.

So I sing my song to be free above and beyond and to my destiny rising.

Springing forth from a legacy of survivors in this very hour with knowledge and power I shall ascend into this world as a blessed child who will have his own.

So my children's children can sing their song.

From a people - who did not have a place because of their race lingered on and on from hangings and strife - I am a seed planted to bring forth life - when the seed is ripe, harvest is plentiest.

So I sing.

♪ Momma may have.

♪ ♪ Papa may have.

♪ ♪ But god bless the child ♪ ♪ that's got it's own.

♪ ♪ And my legacy goes on and on and on.

♪ This last poem is titled "In the meantime" In the meantime I found out that loving myself is the best therapy I could have ever taken.

Said to myself Girlfriend, let's do a self-evaluation of yo'self.

Come and lay down on your couch of encouragement and let's do a self-diagnosis.

With pen in hand I said, In the meantime, Girlfriend its time for you to start livin'!

No more negative thoughts and trippin' down memory lane.

You need to write yo' self a prescription.

So this is what the doctor of my heart and mind prescribed: Love yourself at least 3 times a day.

Look into the mirror of your beauty that god was even mindful of you.

Oh girlfriend, just twice a day you are to give yourself a smile be renewed in your loveliness, pat yourself on the back, give yourself a round of applause - because you are worth it and much more.

Leap for joy and let the world know that you are here.

In the meantime, know that your life is worth living and you have a lot to live for.

For in your living you have so much to give to the world and when you are gone you will be missed by many.

In the meantime, wake yourself up out of your pity-pat coma come to grips that life is not always a box of chocolate Take a bite out of life and savor each and every moment reflect on the good more than the bad and learn from it.

So in the meantime girlfriend, think of all the living you have to do all the giving you have to give in the meantime, realize you are special - to you.

Dr. King gave a speech called "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life" which he described as the "Length, Breadth, and Height" of a meaningful life.

You measure the length of one's life by the inward concern for one's own welfare.

Goals and ambition.

You measure the breadth of one's life by the outward concern, for the welfare of others.

Charity and volunteerism.

You measure the height of one's life, by the upward reach for God.

[STEVIE LYNNE - "We are the People"] ♪ So, this is hell ♪ ♪ All the people are under a spell ♪ ♪ Drowning in their misconceptions ♪ ♪ Blinded to any other perceptions ♪ ♪ Hatred unfounded ♪ ♪ Individuals uncounted ♪ ♪ Freedom's death at the hand of fear ♪ ♪ Judgments and accusations fill the air ♪ ♪ I'm just a person, you're just a person ♪ ♪ Take away degrees of separation ♪ ♪ Mistakes are made, it fuels the fire ♪ ♪ But lies only exist because you let it ♪ ♪ We are the people, we are the people ♪ ♪ And we're better than this ♪ ♪ Oh, we're better.

♪ ♪ Why can't you see ♪ ♪ We aren't what they say we are ♪ ♪ We're just you and me ♪ ♪ It's not the color of our skin or the expression of our souls ♪ ♪ Divides the church and the government, the media headline ♪ ♪ goals ♪ ♪ I'm just a person, you're just a person ♪ ♪ Take away degrees of separation ♪ ♪ Mistakes are made, it fuels the fire ♪ ♪ But lies only exist because you let it ♪ ♪ We are the people, we are the people ♪ ♪ And we're better than this ♪ ♪ Oh, we're better.

♪ ♪ Choose your own path, think before you act ♪ ♪ Don't follow the parade, it's all a charade ♪ ♪ Choose your own path, think before you act ♪ ♪ Don't follow the parade, it's all a charade ♪ ♪ I'm just a person, you're just a person ♪ ♪ Take away degrees of separation ♪ ♪ Mistakes are made, it fuels the fire ♪ ♪ But lies only exist because you let it ♪ ♪ We are the people, we are the people ♪ ♪ And we're better than this ♪ ♪ We are the people, we are the people ♪ ♪ And we're better than this.

♪ ♪ And we're better than this.

♪ Dr King said, "Not only have we come a long, long way, we still have a long, long way to go before the problem of racial injustice is solved in our country.

We need only turn on our televisions and open our newspapers and look around our community.

We see that the problem is still with us" Today is a day to recognize how far we've come, but also to refuse to ignore how much farther we still have to go.

There are many organizations in Spokane that are helping people travel that long, long way that Dr. King spoke of.

You can learn more about their respective missions, services offered, and how to donate to, volunteer at, or partner with these organizations by visiting their websites.

We'll show them at the end of this program.

And now to lift our spirits as we close our celebration Raggs and the Bush Doktor performing 'Free the People'.

♪ Music is an international language.

It brings all people together.

And when we come together it makes the world better.

If there was music... Can you teach me with music?

Can we free the people?

Can we free the people with music?

With music, with music.

With music, with music.

Music, with music.

Come now, heal the people.

Heal the people.

Come now, heal the people.

Come now heal the people.

With music, with music.

With music, with music.

With music, with music.

We feel the rhythm and then we start to bobble.

We feel the music, now see no trouble We feel the rhythm and then we start to bobble.

We feel the music, now see no trouble One love, one heart, one destiny.

One love, one heart, one destiny.

Free the people with music.

Free the people with music.

Feed the people with music.

Heal the people with music.

(Band playing) Can we free the people?

Can we free the people?

Can we free the people with music?

With music, with music.

You feel the rhythm and then you start to bobble.

You feel the music, now see no trouble You feel the rhythm and then you start to bobble.

You feel the music, now see no trouble One love, one heart, one destiny.

One love, one heart, one destiny.

Feed the people with music.

Free the people with music.

Heal the people with music.

Free the people with music.

Free the people, free the people, heal the people, heal the people.

(Band Playing) Music is an international language.

It brings us all together.

And when we come together things will be better.

Yes, when we come together, we can make it better.