nwasianweekly.com
Mar. 17,
2007
Photo provided
by King County
Rev. Sam McKinney
(left) and former County Councilman Bruce Laing unveil the new logo as
Executive Ron Sims looks on.
When
a logo becomes an inspiration
Pride.
That feeling filled our souls when we laid eyes on the new logo of King County, a simple yet compelling image of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The logo is more than a picture of a man. King remains the most important symbol of civil rights, both when he was alive and now. He represents the struggle for justice, peace and equality for all, no matter one’s skin color, ethnic background, gender or economic status. His image also evokes nonviolence, democratic ideals, community-wide cooperation and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.
The county
is sending a powerful message by adopting this logo, which replaces
the crown design that had been the county’s logo for 39
years. King County is saying that it shares in the ideals set forth by
this man, and that it is committed to carrying on his legacy. We hope
everyone from citizens to other governmental bodies throughout the country
pay attention to what King County did this week.
Dr. King certainly makes for a more appropriate figurehead for the county
than the previous namesake, William Rufus DeVane King, a former U.S.
vice president who owned slaves. In 1986, the County Council passed a
motion to ceremonially change the eponym to the civil rights leader,
but it was not made official until 2005, when the state Legislature and
the governor approved the change.
We’re not saying King County should get on its high horse and proclaim itself a bastion of equality and inclusion. We know we’re not there yet. Stories of employment and housing discrimination are still all too common. But the new visual representation of this county serves as a reminder that we, as a community, must work on solving these problems. After all, it’s what Dr. King would be doing if he were alive today.
The logo change was a large-scale effort involving numerous people, including County Council Chair Larry Gossett, the prime sponsor of the logo change. The whole movement was actually started back in the 1980s, when then-councilmen Ron Sims and Bruce Laing led a bipartisan effort to change the county’s namesake to Dr. King. We thank these lawmakers for their leadership in turning a dream into reality.
The winning design came from Tony Gable and the Gable Design Group of Seattle. Selected from 29 entries, it is a strong yet graceful tribute to the civil rights leader. As Gossett put it recently, “It is a 21st-century symbol for a 21st-century people.”
No longer is the memory of King limited to merely a day’s worth of celebrations. Henceforth in King County, his contributions and ideals are recognized on a daily basis.
With Dr. King as its namesake, the county has high standards to live up to. We expect this new logo to be an effective reminder to lawmakers as well as citizens that all of us need to constantly strive for equality and social justice, everywhere.
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Northwest Asian Weekly • P.O. Box 3468 • Seattle •
WA 98114
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