The Martin Luther King Jr. Gala was delayed back in January because of COVID-19. Last year the event was virtual due to the same reason, but this year the Northern Nevada Black Culture Society Awareness Club was excited to hold their Gala fundraiser once again, at the Reno Sparks Convention Center.
The event is usually celebrated during the week of Martin Luther King Jr. day, with many informal events for the community leading up to the Gala throughout that week. Tonight they held their Gala, on the last day of Black History Month, which club officials say was fitting and they liked the date it fell on.
Cliff Porter, the Vice President of the Northern Nevada Black Culture Awareness Society says the month gives everyone time to reflect and be better for the future.
He says "Growing up there was not a lot of teaching and books on people who established a lot of things in our lifetime."
During the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they'll have events like movie screenings and art galleries leading up to the Gala. This year's theme is 'Continuing Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy'.
Porter tells us "It's paying respect to a great man, that's what today is about, paying respect to a great man."
He adds, Black History Month is yes, only a month long, but he would like it to be longer. He says this is a celebration of what Martin Luther King Jr. believed in, and should be carried out within everybody.
He continues "We all need to be together, we all need to strive for greater together, no matter what color you are what race it's all about striving to be better together."
Porter also says the Gala takes an entire year to put together, once their done with one they'll immediately start to plan the next.
