MLK

By Kristine Kostuck
Staff Writer

The Human Rights Commission will host a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and awards ceremony at the Fargo Theatre on Mon. Jan. 17. The committee that put it together completely restyled the event this year, making it a combination of entertainment and charity.

“The MLK event is family focused,” said Margie Bailey, the executive director at the Fargo Theatre and an assistant in the event since its beginning. “It’s a great way to share the value and importance of diversity with future generations. It is an opportunity to honor individuals and organizations in our community who have gone above and beyond, all while celebrating and welcoming diverse populations and the exciting dimension they bring to our communities.”

There are two basic questions the commission has asked themselves since 2002 when they began giving out awards. These two questions are what Dave Lanpher, the chairman of the Human Rights Commission, said are the determining factors when deciding the awards.

“What have you done for the community?” Lanpher asked. “What sort of humanitarian work have you done for our community?”

The winners are selected by nominations the Human Rights Commission receives throughout the year. Three winners are picked from the categories of youth, organizational and adult.
The Human Rights Commission is a board appointed by the mayor and approved by the city commission.

“Our mission is to make sure people are treated equal as we become more diverse,” Lanpher said.

The group of people is known for giving minorities or immigrants a voice during their weekly meetings.

“We are not an advocacy group, but rather the middle person when new people to our community have problems, Lanpher said. “We guide them to the right place to solve [the problems] or make them better.”

The commission prides itself on being a place for resolving the cultural misunderstandings and natural tension felt by new residents to the city. They have helped during situations such as new citizens taking the driver’s test.

“So many speak the language well, it’s just difficult to read it well,” Lanpher said. “We assist them so they will no longer have problems taking it. Sometimes there are so many language barriers that separate us, especially for first generations.”

The commission has seen new concerns in the last year, such as bullying and the debate over Arizona’s immigration law and whether North Dakota will see one like it, in which new Americans would be asked to show documentation of citizenship if pulled over by the police. Lanpher, like many protesters on the topic, thinks the law would increase racial profiling.

“It really isn’t the police’s job to enforce immigration laws and opinions,” he said. “It is their job to protect citizens and keep our community safe.”

Lanpher didn’t go as far as saying immigration laws promote discrimination, but many people fear that everyone crossing the border is pushing drugs or is out to steal an American’s job. The answer to this problem seems so simple. It isn’t the immigrant’s fault for jumping the border looking for a better life. It is the corporations and management that hire these people for a lower wage. The problem is right here on our own ground and is completely driven by money. Passing laws like Arizona’s only promotes problems. People shouldn’t be allowed to have a job without proof of citizenship or green card, and there is no real punishment for the management or corporations that hire them; though they may face fines, which are minimal, they still have the opportunity to relocate outside the U.S. border and hire individuals for less money under worse conditions.

Los Texicans, a group from Fargo, which will be performing at the MLK event, isn’t estranged to racial profiling in our community. The group of four that I sat with all had their own stories of not feeling welcomed in North Dakota.

“People are afraid we our cheating the welfare system and stealing jobs without holding citizenship,” the founder of the group said. “In reality we all have full time jobs and have never been on welfare.”

The group began in 2008 and are descendants of people from Texas. Most of their families worked in the sugar beet fields, helped with farming and even owned restaurants. They feel that their background makes them more versatile and driven.

Their influence came forth from their families’ love for the accordion and 12 string guitar. Some members of the group were raised on classic rock and even some metal. Each member thinks their heritage influences them in becoming another group that helps recognize Fargo’s diversity.

Los Texicans has played for many benefits and would like to continue playing for a better cause, which is why they were asked to play for the MLK celebration at the theatre. But the line up of performers is quite impressive this year, thanks in part to HPR publisher Raul Gomez and planning committee. The Texicans aren’t the only group that should bring you to your feet.

Michael Pink, frequently featured on HPR’s cover, is rumored to be possibly doing a rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine on the Fargo Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer; a highlight of the MLK celebration for sure! Edwin Aybar’s Salsa class will also take the stage as will a choir of 100 ninth graders.

The MLK event is open to the public without charge. Donations will be raised for the YWCA and Necomis.

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If You Go

What: MLK Day Celebration
Where: Fargo Theatre
When: Mon. Jan. 17, 6:30 p.m.
Info: 701.239.8385