FARGO \u2014 For the first time in years, Fargo will not hold <\/p>\n
a celebration to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n The Fargo City Commission decided in September to cut funding for the annual event that was hosted by the Fargo Human Rights Commission and nonprofit Fred\u2019s Dissonance. That means the city will not host the celebration on Monday, Jan. 19, a first in more than two decades.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no alternative plans for the celebration,\u201d <\/p>\n Human Rights Commission Chair Sekou Sirleaf<\/a><\/p>\n told The Forum on Wednesday.<\/p>\n King\u2019s birthday is Jan. 15, and the U.S. observes a federal holiday on the third Monday of January to recognize the Black activist who fought for civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s before his assassination.<\/p>\n The Fargo event that dates back to at least 2002 featured singers, dancers, poets and other artists. Organizers of the celebration also handed out three awards: one each to a business, adult and young person who promoted human rights in the area.<\/p>\n Those awards encouraged businesses and Fargo residents to make the city a better place, Sirleaf said. It\u2019s important to recognize people who fought for civil rights in the U.S. because they impact everyone, not just people of color, he said.<\/p>\n Last year, locals packed the Fargo Theater for the celebration. The City Commission budgeted $17,886 for last year\u2019s MLK Day event.<\/p>\n Alyssa Goelzer \/ Forum file photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Along with funding for this year\u2019s celebration, the City Commission also cut $12,500 in funds for Juneteenth, a celebration that recognized the end of slavery in the U.S.<\/p>\n The Forum requested an interview with city officials for this story, but it issued a statement that said the cuts were part of a \u201cbroader budget realignment\u201d that focused on \u201cprioritizing core services and reevaluating how our limited social services and arts funding is allocated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the city is no longer sponsoring Juneteenth or MLK events, the city continues to recognize the significance of both observances,\u201d Assistant City Administrator Brenda Derrig said in the statement. \u201cOn MLK Day and Juneteenth, community members are encouraged to take time to honor these observances, whether that is through service, learning or engagement within the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Sirleaf called the pullback in funding \u201cshameful\u201d and a step backward for the city. It comes a year after the City Commission voted to defund its <\/p>\n Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department.<\/a><\/p>\n The city also will <\/p>\n disband the Human Rights, Native American, and Arts and Culture commissions<\/a><\/p>\n in two months, unless the boards form an action plan to restructure.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should be going forward,\u201d Sirleaf said. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be going backward.\u201d<\/p>\n Sirleaf said he is reaching out to local organizations in an attempt to put together the MLK and Juneteenth celebrations in Fargo.<\/p>\n “We just can’t sit back,” he said. “Those are two important dates that the community always looks forward to.”<\/p>\n The cities of Moorhead and West Fargo don\u2019t host MLK events. <\/p>\n![\"012024.N.FF.MLKcelebration.7\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.forumcomm.com\/dims4\/default\/d8cd3dc\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4607x3071+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum-communications-production-web.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F92%2F82%2Fbf9fc8e24347b39911ad896b6e0f%2F012024-n-ff-mlkcelebration-7.jpg\")
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