Reclaim MLK, 2023 by Mika Martinez

The Reclaim MLK event organized by Don’t Shoot Portland in partnership with other organizations such as the Portland Association of Teachers, is a protest that centers the voices of children who are most vulnerable to the systemic violations of civil liberties. Led by the leaders of tomorrow, this powerfully charged event lifts up the Black community in Portland and uses art as a form of resistance. Arieanna Morehead, Miss Black Northwest International Ambassador is an organizer and a leader who is working to build a healthy and thriving community in Portland. When people think about protests there is a lot of angry and violent imagery that comes to mind. The Reclaim MLK protest is led by young people, it’s led by kids, and the message is that their future matters. That their lives matter, and that they are unapologetically reclaiming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to center the voices of the next generation and celebrate the Black community.