Local community leaders honored at MLK Day event
People of all ages and backgrounds gathered to commemorate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.during a prayer breakfast hosted by the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce.
The annual prayer breakfast, held in Desert Hot Springs at the Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, gave attendees the opportunity to reflect on the impact of the late civil rights leader.
The event also highlighted local leaders who were awarded for their efforts to uphold the unfinished work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“If you do you and with concern for other people, that's what does it. Because if you're looking out for your neighbor, and you're looking out trying to make things better for other people, that actually makes things better for you,” said Richard Wallace, President at Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce.
The Black Chamber of Commerce maintains a particular focus on uplifting local Black business owners yet awardees at this year's event each have a unique impact on the desert.
2023 Black Chamber of Commerce Awardees include:
-Bridgette Picou: HIV advocate and Board Member for The Well Project-HIV and Women.
-Flavius Garmacea: Local business owner
-Tracie Radford: Trichologist & Educator
-Jeannetta Edwards: Managing Editor of Coachella Valley Christian Call
Newly-elected Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner was also the recipient of the MLK Spirit Award due to her commitment to civil rights and local Black business owners.
According to Mayor Garner, carrying on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. means doing the work, “...even when it’s not popular.”
For Mayor Garner, this means working towards the late leader’s unrealized goal of reaching economic equity by providing opportunities and resources to those in the local Black and Latino community.
“I think one of the things that's really important when we're looking at policies in terms of the government and the city is where we are as resources," she said.
Though Black of Chamber of Commerce leaders believe in the importance of events like the annual prayer breakfast, they say that commemorating the leader should go beyond the holiday.
“We can start right in our households and our communities by getting informed, learning what the challenges are, and also building with people that have already been doing the work, already have been doing the research and helping them, partnering with them and moving forward,” said Billy Harris, Black Chamber of Commerce keynote speaker.
