The diversity that Martin Luther King Jr. so wanted the world to embrace was beautifully embodied throughout Crossroads Bellevue’s “Celebration of a Dream,” a tribute held last Saturday. Performances ranged from cheer to African drum and dance to rap and hip-hop and rhythm and blues.

Amma Anang, who performed with the African Drum and Dance group Ocheami, has attended the Crossroads’ event several times over the past decade as a way to connect the community to African tradition through music and dance.

“We just love it because of the diversity,” she said.

Kevin Henry, the cultural diversity program coordinator for the city of Bellevue, acted as the master of ceremonies. Henry has been attending for nearly 15 years and has noticed many changes.

“It has grown and changed in ethnic diversity and number of people,” he said. “It has really expanded in the amount of people who know about it, participate and attend.”

Another recent addition that has become a big draw is the performers.

“What is nice about it is that we involve community performances,” Henry explained. “It’s like one big party.”

The idea, he said, is to bring in community performers who will, in turn, invite friends and family to participate in the event.

Crystal McGowan and her children attended the event for the first time to watch a friend’s daughter, Julia, perform with the Eastside Dream Elite Cheer team.

“We have a great time hanging out here, and the kids really like the music,” she said. “And we meet a lot of friends here.”

In addition to musical and dance performances, the tribute also featured an extensive heath fair, organized by the Bellevue Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The chapter, which has been serving Bellevue since 1989, is predominantly comprised of African American college-educated women.

Chapter president Phoebe Ash has been attending for six years and has watched health representation more than triple in past years, and presentations from the Overlake Hospital, Hope Heart Institute and several other health organizations were provided throughout the afternoon.

“We have a lot of different organizations coming through,” she said. “It is a nice place to bring your kids to celebrate MLK.”

Overall, the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is a time for community members of all colors, ages, shapes, sizes and abilities to connect with one another and celebrate differences.

“One thing I want to emphasize is that it is an American holiday,” Henry observed. “Martin Luther King’s work revolved around African American issues, yes, but it is his message of unity and peace that is relevant to everyone.”

Meg Bower is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.