All invited to ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’ MLK event

Growing up in Seattle during the 1960s, Bill Skubi recalls Whidbey Island, which he visited every summer, to be a hermetically sealed place from the rest of the world. But like other communities, it has not been immune to the same issues of tolerance and acceptance that others have struggled with over the years.

Across the nation, the civil rights movement was taking off as African Americans faced racism, violence, segregation and discrimination in their everyday lives. For the women of the movement, there was an additional layer of sexism to contend with, which prevented them from taking on leadership roles.

The upcoming Blessed are the Peacemakers event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day will honor these women, including Ida B. Wells, Pauli Murray, Rosa Parks, Jo Ann Robinson, Diane Nash, Ella Baker, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Fannie Lou Hamer, Casey Hayden, Mary King and Mary Wright Edelman.

Skubi is a member of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, which hosts the interactive event every year at St. Augustine’s in-the-Woods Episcopal Church in Freeland. Located at 5217 S. Honeymoon Bay Road, the 19th annual event begins at 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20.

“We feel that Martin Luther King Jr. was a champion of peace, although he’s remembered for civil rights, toward the end of his life he was very much active in and critical of participation in the Vietnam War,” Skubi said. “We honor all the efforts of his life in bringing civil rights to people in this country and also being a voice for peace.”

The annual event is usually a full house, with about 100 people in attendance. It includes interactive readings and TV visuals to feature the contributions of women. The program ends with the group singing of “We Shall Overcome,” a gospel song associated with the civil rights movement. Skubi said it’s always moving to hear.

“It’s the one time (of year) when a great many people who typically don’t go to church find it beneficial and informative to attend this meeting,” he said.

It’s a chance for people to honor the history of the struggle for human rights, civil rights and freedom in this country.

This year’s featured speaker is Kenesha Lewin, the director for Pamoja Place, an organization dedicated to growing community and a sense of belonging for BIPOC – Black, Indigenous and people of color – individuals on Whidbey Island. Pamoja is a Swahili word meaning “togetherness.”

Lewin said the event celebrating women in the civil rights movement is a great opportunity to highlight community unity and resilience.

“It’s important we learn from our past and uplift each other as we strive for a unified future,” she said. “We are stronger together.”

The United Student Leaders of South Whidbey High School also plan to participate. Pastries, veggies and beverages will be available before and after the presentation.

Skubi pointed to a number of recent events, from a suspicious fire at a Black-led farm to the report of a “Minority Rape Cult” in the Coupeville School District to a Hollywood film about a white supremacist shootout in Greenbank 40 years ago, that show that Whidbey has its own problems with racism and accepting people of color.

“Whidbey Island is not a completely innocent place in terms of the struggle for equal rights and freedom, even though to some it seems like we don’t have that kind of problem here,” Skubi said.

He added, “I’d like Whidbey Island to be remembered for some really positive things going forward.”