On a blustery afternoon with snow flurries blowing around them, community leader and activist Frankie West was joined by several local officials at Martin Luther King Park to dedicate a new monument which recognizes individuals who have taken up Dr. King’s call for equality. West has participated in and for decades has organized the annual Dr. Martin Luther King civil rights march, that is held each January on the specific day that honors the late civil rights leader.

West credited several clergy and community leaders for influencing him as a young man, noting in particular the late Vivian Butts, who was the first African-American woman to serve on the Bethlehem Police Department.

“There were a lot of years worth of supporters,” said West, “and this what they asked me to do.”

Mayor J. William Reynolds called West a “true community leader.” West, a former high school athlete, has been involved in youth sports for decades.

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure presented both West and Reynolds with certificates. “Thank you for keeping this alive,” McClure said. Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong expressed his appreciation for West’s efforts, noting that his county now has Juneteenth as a day off. Northampton County District Attorney Terence Houck said that efforts like those of West get kids into activities early, thereby helping to steer them in a productive direction.

Former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan was also in attendance to congratulate West.