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Calling for action Dr. Roy H. Saigo, former interim president of Southern Oregon University, gives the keynote address Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Historic Ashland Armory. [Daily Tidings / Andy Atkinson] Monday Jan 15, 2018 at 6:06 PM Jan 15, 2018 at 6:06 PM Speakers called for urgent actions at Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration to fight inequality By Tran Nguyen Ashland Daily Tidings With her head down and her eyes closed, Naomi Kerongo started to weep as each word of the historic speech, “I Have A Dream,” echoed throughout Ashland plaza Monday to an audience of more than 50 people. “The speech resonated so much in me,” said Kerongo, a Kenyan activist. “It reminds me of the pain of speaking the truth.” Kerongo survived the 1998 U.S. embassy bombing in Kenya and became an outspoken critic of the corrupted government. Her activism led her to flee her country for safety, but two of her four sons have been killed for being critical of the government, Kerongo said. “The black men, the black race is the most mistreated. ... We are exploited and disregarded. But you can hear it — the power — in this speech. No other human being could do what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did,” she said of King’s work in the Civil Rights movement in the ‘50s and ‘60s. The broadcasting of the speech has become a part of the tradition of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration in Ashland. The local event, started 30 years ago, began at noon on Monday at the Ashland Historic Armory on Oak Street, followed by a march to Ashland Plaza, where the speech “I Have a Dream” is played every year. Keynote speaker Roy H. Saigo, who is the former president of Southern Oregon University, recalled his days during World War II in Japanese-American camps in Arizona, where “years of work were gone,” and the Japanese-Americans were left with their hands empty. “Where are we going and what are they going to do to us,” Saigo said of the relocation. “When we got there, in our best outfits, we looked at our new homes. ... Control and hopes were gone.” Saigo said what had happened to his families and other Japanese-American decades ago is happening again now with the Muslim and Mexican communities. “The urgency is more fierce today than ever before,” Saigo said. With the theme, “The Fierce Urgency of Now: Tomorrow is Today” — a quote from King’s speech on the Vietnam war, Saigo called for action at the local level at the end of his speech. “Meet with your city councilors. ... They want your assistance in making this a better place,” Saigo said, adding that both action and inaction are deliberate choices for each person. Middle school students Bella Johnson and Jaiden Muth joined Saigo to deliver a speech urging for immediate actions on cyberbullying, mental health issues in school and more acceptance of the LGBTQ community. “Important tasks have been always being put off to tomorrow,” Muth said. “But we’re calling you to act now; don’t wait,” Johnson continued. The event is sponsored by the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, among other organizations in Ashland. Its representative took the stage Monday to highlight four community leaders who pledged on stage last year to further educate and create equality and inclusivity. The list included Asante Ashland Community Hospital for committing to treat all patients regardless skin color, gender or religious belief; Ashland High School for creating a part-time diversity and equity coordinator position; Councilor Dennis Slattery for initiating Indigenous Day; and Oregon Shakespeare Festival for featuring a play written by a Native American writer. A slideshow in memorial of important figures for the Civil Rights movement who died in 2017 was also shown at the event. The long list includes Edith Savage-Jennings, Erica Garner, Ola Mildred Rexroat, Lillie Mae Bradford and Ashlander G. Valmont Thomas. Members of Scenic Middle School choir, Bishop Mayfield Band, Phoenix Sigalove and David Young also performed musical acts at the event. One of the few black community members in the audience of hundreds, Kerongo said she feels encouraged every time she attends Ashland’s Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. “I feel touched by the people here,” she said. “This is where they keep the dream alive — the American dream … They fight for themselves and they fight for others. This is where they stand up for the democracy. And I’m very encouraged by that.” — Reach reporter Tran Nguyen at 541-776-4485 or [email protected]. Follow her on twitter @nguyenntrann.