At the Foot of the Dream: Trae Holiday and Deaunte Damper Reflect on MLK Day at Garfield High School
Deaunte Damper (left) and Trae Holiday (right) pose at Garfield High School on Martin Luther King Jr. Day yesterday. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the community gathered at Garfield High School to celebrate the civil rights leader’s life and legacy, marking 65 years since Dr. King himself walked the campus grounds. Amidst the annual rally and march organized by the Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition, The Big O spoke with “The Day With Trae” host Trae Holiday and “We Live In Color” host Deaunte Damper to reflect on the progress made and the work that still remains.
The Big O (left) and Trae Holiday (right) talk at Garfield High School on Martin Luther King Jr. Day yesterday. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
Trae Holiday: The Nexus of Economic Justice
Acknowledging the immense progress initiated by Dr. King, Holiday explained that despite language shifting, the fight for equality remains the same. To her, it is all about ensuring everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.
“Yes, some of his dream has been realized, but a lot of it still is yet to be realized,” she said.
Holiday discussed the economic dimensions of Dr. King’s later work, notably the systemic barriers and economic justice issues that many believe ultimately led to his assassination. She described this as the "nexus" of the current struggle, where economic disparities at a racial level are all too real and are felt by everyday people.
She pointed to statistics like the decline of home ownership in Black communities and existing racial disparities in education access, focusing on the historical importance of the Rainbow Coalition; the effort to pull together poor people of all races. “Ultimately, we're all facing very similar dynamics,” she said.
For Holiday, the ultimate takeaway is the need for collective power and unification. She stressed the importance of community and labor organizing to sustain continual societal progress.
Deaunte Damper (left) and The Big O (right) talk at Garfield High School on Martin Luther King Jr. Day yesterday. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)
Deaunte Damper: The Power of a United Front
Standing at the site of the MLK Day celebration, which he has attended since childhood, Damper emphasized the necessity of a united front. He noted that regardless of creed, color, queer identity, or religious background, people must move forward as a collective to fulfill the "community compass."
“Coming here reminds me that that dream can't be fulfilled without each other,” he said.
Damper was adamant that the core missions Dr. King championed remain critical today, particularly in the city of Seattle. He pointed to the stark reality of poverty, homelessness, and incarceration in the city, arguing that these communities must be prioritized not just as a talking point.
Rather than tokenizing or criminalizing marginalized communities, Damper called for intentional empowerment of those impacted by systemic economic barriers, connecting this mission to his work at Converge.
"Everybody at Converge implements that same legacy, unity, and community,” he said. “It’s about uplifting some of the folks who have felt voiceless and unheard.”
The Lasting Takeaways
Both conversations served as reminders that while the dream of integration and unity has seen daylight and passed significant milestones since Dr. King’s initial visit to Seattle, the fight for economic empowerment, justice, and true togetherness remains the unfinished and vital work of the current generation.
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