PORTSMOUTH — As Dr. King once said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Those honoring the civil rights leader's life Monday chose justice.

The annual breakfast and celebration held by the Seacoast NAACP graced South Church in Portsmouth this year with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy on display, contrasted with the present day use of what speakers called divisive, xenophobic language from the highest office in the United States.

This April will be the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination.

"A man whose life brought hope and healing to America," said host of ceremonies JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. "A man who in death continues to inspire a nation to be courageous in our quest for equality and justice for all."

The theme of this year's celebration was Dr. King's quote, "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." Boggis said Dr. King's words summed up the fact that "while we might be from different backgrounds, gender, ethnicity, race or social class, in this space and in this time, we are all journeying together."

New Hampshire was the last state to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday, signed into law in 1999. 

Beti Stevens, a junior at Traip Academy, was one of seven student-athletes who knelt during the national anthem prior to a varsity soccer game last fall. On Monday, she spoke about how being a privileged black teen gave her responsibility to take a stand against injustice. Stevens was born in Ethiopia and came to the United States at 5 years old through adoption.

"There are systems set in place that dictate what opportunities we have in life," she said. "They say we have liberty and justice for all, but that is not true. Think about it, if you hear a good school, who is the majority? If you hear a bad school or bad neighborhood, what race do you think of? Even the president sends a message about our worth as human beings. This message is devastating for youth of color to live with."

Stevens said when her statement drew local news coverage, fellow students retaliated against her on social media using the N-word and calling the girls who knelt "sluts."

"When you're used to privilege, equality feels like oppression," she said. Stevens noted Traip Academy now has a civil rights team as a result.  

"Lives are at risk due to racial identity, but some people don’t want to see it," she said.

Sean McGhee, who is the University of New Hampshire's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs director, had two consistent reminders during his keynote speech: Be comfortable being uncomfortable and the past is always in the present.

"Sometimes we like to keep it sanitized, we don’t want to deal with the pain and trauma of people, or we don’t know how to deal it it," McGhee said. "People who are targeted or marginalized need to be able to speak their truth in their own unique way."

As far as the past, "We talk about things as if they have gone by and never returned and obviously given our political climate, we're seeing the past in the present right now."

"Dr. King would want us to tell it like it is, would he not?" McGhee said. "We are once again facing storms produced by ignorance and bigotry, yet this time from the highest of levels."

Last week, President Donald Trump reportedly referred to immigrants from African nations, El Salvador and Haiti as coming from "s---hole countries."

McGhee recognized the influx of citizen activism over the last several years, mentioning Black Lives Matter, the Women's March of 2017 and the #MeToo movement.

"There is a power in words, there always has been and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise," he said. "The entire country is a classroom and we must be aware what we are teaching and what those learning outcomes may lead to and have already led to."

McGhee spoke about Dr. King in the present tense, "because he is with us now." He called Dr. King a man of love, grace, and yet very complex.

"He is the blueprint today for how social justice work can be done, and is being done," he said. "Dr. King’s work and legacy are timeless and alive. We are standing on his shoulders and the shoulders of so many others."

Nooran Alhamdan, a student at UNH and president of the university's Middle Eastern Cultural Association, spoke about the education system's role in creating blindness to reality. Alhamdan is a first-generation Arab American born to refugee parents.

"Our education system attempts to convince us the mission of the civil rights movement was fulfilled decades ago," she said. "Those who fight today for justice and accountability are constantly and consistently told the justice they are seeking has already been served."

Alhamdan said it was a trip to Palestine with her parents that taught her to love her identity. Since her return, she has been inspired to act.

"Justice will not be served to us in a timely fashion or on a silver platter," she said.

Other event speakers included Seacoast NAACP President Rogers Johnson, Jody Hoffer Gittell and the Rev. Dr. Arthur Hilson. Musical selections were performed by Rev. Dr. Lillian Buckley and others. Gov. Chris Sununu attended the breakfast portion of the celebration.

"I ask you all," McGhee said. "Is this a time to be silent, on this day of days, Dr. King’s birthday?"