‘The symbol of unity in Spokane County’: Local civil rights leader and pastor Happy Watkins dies at 82

Percy “Happy” Watkins, co-founder of Spokane’s annual march commemorating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and who was a longtime voice in the fight for civil rights in Spokane, died Friday. He was 82.

For decades, he was known for giving King a voice as he recited King’s “I Have a Dream” speech each year at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in Spokane. The tradition of his annual recitation began way back in 1971 – just three years after King was assassinated.

“It is with heavy hearts that we hear of the passing of Pastor Happy Watkins. Born in the Bronx, but a Spokanite through and through since 1961, he served our community with a heart of gold and helped us keep the words of Dr. King as he recited the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech like clockwork every year and at events throughout the year,” Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson wrote on Facebook.

Watkins was the longtime pastor of New Hope Baptist Church and led the church since 1990 until his retirement in 2018. He and his good friend Ivan Bushanother prominent civil rights leader in Spokane, organized the annual King’s March in Spokane for decades.

A native of the Bronx, Watkins came to Spokane in 1961 as an airman, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. In a 2018 profile, Watkins expressed bewilderment about relatively rural and white Spokane.

“I was 19.5 years old and I started crying… (so I was told) about bears and hard winters. I was destroyed,” he recalled at the time.

Still, Watkins found community in the church and soon called Spokane home.

Over the course of more than 60 years in the city, Watkins worked as an insurance salesman, opened a barbecue restaurant, ran for city council, led the local NAACP, married his wife Etta and raised four sons.

Spokane Superior Court Judge Breean Beggs said Watkins always had an encouraging word for him. Beggs is the former director of the Spokane Center for Justice, which focused on civil rights issues.

“To me, Happy was the symbol of solidarity in Spokane County. More than anyone else, he exemplified that,” said Beggs, a former Spokane City Council president. “He made Spokane a better place.”

Steve Corker, who served on the Spokane City Council for eight years from 2008 to 2011, said Watkins was like a “surrogate father” to him.

“I’m going to miss him,” Corker said. “He was a kind, good person and we need more of him. He was willing to talk and willing to bring people together, and we need more of that.”

Corker and Watkins were active in Democratic politics in the 1970s, Corker said.

He said Watkins mentored him when Corker was in his 30s and relatively new to Spokane and politics.

“He was one of the friendliest people I ever met in the city of Spokane,” Corker said.

Watkins helped him understand minority issues during his early political career and both were involved in the campaign of James Chase, who was elected Spokane’s first black mayor in 1981.

Like many people, Corker fondly remembered Watkins’ recitation of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“I remember experiencing a kind of rebirth of thought and connection every time he gave that speech,” Corker said.

Former Spokane Mayor David Condon, who served two terms in the 2010s, said Watkins came into his office numerous times to discuss issues focused on police and community relations, community centers and the Black community.

Condon believed the first time he met Watkins was at the opening of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, which slides past the University District and was championed by Watkins.

“He is a titan in our community whose legacy will live on for generations,” Condon said.

Watkins was a longtime leader of the Spokane NAACP. Former chapter president Kurtis Robinson said Watkins kept the organization together as president when membership declined.

“He was there to keep the NAACP alive. And we must do the same. His call to us is to take up the baton. It is his legacy that we take this forward,” he said.

Robinson said he saw Watkins just two weeks ago and he was still the man who could move a crowd to tears with MLK Jr.’s words.

“I know Happy had a dream for us too,” he said.

Todd Eklof, a Spokane Unitarian minister and friend of Watkins, said Watkins was an “icon” who “served as a role model for all who knew him.” Before a referendum on marriage equality in 2012, Watkins publicly expressed his support for same-sex marriage. The move surprised some, but it was just an example of his courage, Eklof said.

“Happy expressed his traditional faith in a non-traditional way,” he said of the Baptist preacher. “He was happy. And he made everyone else happy too.”

Jonathan Brunt contributed to this report.