A group of young people lead the MLK Jr. Day march on Jan. 20. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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PHOTO ESSAY | MLK Jr. Day March 2025

Susan Fried

On a cold but beautiful sunny January day, thousands of people attended the 42nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and march at Garfield High School. The Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition put on a full day of activities, including an opportunity fair and workshops before the rally and march. An overflow crowd filled the gym for speeches and performances on this year's theme, "We Rise Against Project 2025." The event honored the memory of Dr. Maxine Mimms and Amarr Murphy-Paine, a Garfield student who was shot and killed last June.

The march kicked off from the high school and made its way to Jimi Hendrix Park for a smaller rally.

Debra Holden Davis, whose family has attended the event for years, said it was a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., especially in the current political climate.

Check out some of the scenes of the workshops, rally, and march below.

Fai Mathews, who has attended the MLK Jr. Day rally and march at Garfield for decades, enjoys the program at Garfield High School.
The Throwbacks perform at the MLK Jr. Day rally in the Garfield High School gym.
Kevin Allen, with the Seattle King County African American Reparations Committee, leads a workshop on reparations during the annual celebration of the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Hundreds of people attended the opportunity fair during the MLK Jr. Day celebration at Garfield High School. A variety of services were offered to job seekers, including career path training and resume support.
Debra Holden Davis waits for the start of the annual MLK Jr. Day rally. She and her family have attended the event for years.
The Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition presented Amarr Murphy-Paine's family with a plaque honoring their son during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally. The coalition also honored Dr. Maxine Mimms.
Thousands of marchers walk down Union Street past a building featuring a portrait of Dr. Maxine Mimms during the annual MLK Jr. Day march on Jan. 20.
Faye Mathews carries the same photo of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. she's carried in every MLK Jr. Day march for decades.
Thousands of people attended the march.
Jaelynn Scott, executive director of the Lavender Rights Project, speaks about the attack on the civil rights of transgender people at the outdoor rally at Jimi Hendrix Park at the end of the march.
After arriving at Jimi Hendrix Park, a woman listens to a speech by Jaelynn Scott.
A man and little boy relax after marching from Garfield High School to Jimi Hendrix Park.
During the MLK Jr. Day march, a young man holds a sign honoring his grandmother and other people who might be affected by President Trump's new immigration policy.
A group of young people leading the MLK Jr. Day march.
Thousands of people participated in the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Day march from Garfield High School to Jimi Hendrix Park on Jan. 20.

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