Alaska lawmakers, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, staffers, pages, families and more gathered in the Capitol in Juneau for the start of the session.

JUNEAU — The Alaska Legislature began its session at the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau on Tuesday. Here’s a look inside the halls and chambers in photos.

[ Legislative session begins with planned vote on overriding Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of revenue bill]

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The legacy of one of America’s most prominent civil rights leaders was on everyone’s mind Monday as Alaska communities gathered to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A multicultural presentation at East High School celebrated the values King fought for, bringing together community leaders, dancers, martial artists, and musicians for a program designed to reflect his enduring impact.

“It is so important to continue to promote justice, which was really what Dr. Martin Luther King was all about,” said Celeste Hodge Growden, president of the Alaska Black Caucus. “Again, justice, equity, equality, those things that might not be as present as they once were.”

While King may not have visited the Last Frontier, the rights he fought for extend to the 49th state. Alaska’s Civil Rights Office within the Department of Transportation continues his work today.

Civil rights work continues in Alaska

“I like to be a voice for those people that don’t like to speak up,” said Robespierre Howard of the Civil Rights Office at the Alaska Department of Transportation. “And a lot of times, if you look at the cultural differences up here, the state of Alaska is quite different from the lower 48.”

King’s work ultimately led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, still upheld in part by the Civil Rights Office of the Alaska Department of Transportation.

“Our mission is to promote fair[ness] and equity, we want to ensure that everybody has the same opportunities to work and bid on federally funded projects,” said Zhenia Peterson of the Civil Rights Office at the Alaska Department of Transportation.

Considering King was thrust into national fame during the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, the Civil Rights movement has long been tied to transportation.

“Everyone should have opportunities to work, live, play, be able to use our roads just as much as anybody else,” Peterson said.

Message of hope continues

It’s a road Alaska is still traveling.

“Everyone deserves, you know, to be treated fairly, no matter what,” Howard said. “That’s just the bottom line. We’re, at the end of the day, we’re all people.”

The message from today’s celebration emphasized the importance of maintaining hope and community unity.

“We cannot give up hope. We must keep hope alive,” Hodge Growden said. “And I think, again, events like this that bring us together as a community are positive messaging. And that’s something we need more of.”

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