Southern Leadership Conf. head gives MLK Jr. Day address

RIO RANCHO — When DeMark Liggins joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he was a wealth manager who wasn't even thinking about leading the organization he does now, he told attendees Monday at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day luncheon.

"I was coming from a world of metrics, numbers, benchmarks and quarter performance," said Liggins, the president and chief executive officer of the SCLC since September 2024.

But in a conversation with his sisters about the work of the leadership conference, he thought he could lead SCLC — though believing his tenure would be short.

"I thought, 'Well, I'll show up; I'll do my part.' But I did come for the work," Liggins said, before adding with a smile, "I did not come for the money."

The speech by Liggins came as the nation marked 40 years since MLK Jr. Day was first recognized and celebrated in 1986, three years after President Ronald Reagan signed legislation into law. Liggins, 47, sought not only to paint a picture of King's life of service in the civil rights movement before he was assassinated in 1968, but also to tie the federal holiday to current events, stating, in part, "We are living in one of the most perilous times in our country."

Liggins' speech at the annual luncheon — hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish — came at the invitation of Rev. Charles Becknell Sr., who is also a member of the leadership conference's board. Inside Fr. Andrew D'Arco Hall, Becknell introduced Liggins, explaining how he made the case that the young man should lead the organization and not the older generation.

"I lost a couple of friends on the board because they wanted somebody else. But we pulled it off, didn't we, DeMark? We made it happen," Becknell said to applause of attendees.

Liggins publicly thanked Becknell during his remarks, stating the reverend's work is a "lifelong responsibility that reminds us that our movement cannot be confined to one generation." Following his remarks, Liggins was given the Becknell Sr. Community Service Award.

Liggins said in becoming president of SCLC — an organization King founded — that he himself is "not unaware of the heaviness" King felt when he took up the job.

"I understand the scrutiny, the expectations, the history and the responsibility," Liggins said.

King, Liggins said, understood something "deeply American" — that protest is possible because it is a constitutional right.

"He knew that even if America failed to live up to its promise, those founding ideals would still matter," Liggins said, reminding attendees of King's passes through places like Montgomery, Alabama, where the civil rights leader staged bus boycotts.

Liggins then spoke of "perilous times" in the country as America celebrates its 250th birthday later this year.

"It's a moment of reflection and reckoning. It forces us to ask not just who we have been, but who is America becoming?" Liggins said. "We've always known there is a gap between America's potential and performance."

He mentioned the shooting of Minnesota woman Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent Jan. 7.

"People have been shot with cameras rolling because they did not comply quick enough," Liggins said. 

Nonviolence — a principle MLK Jr. preached — is "a way of life for courageous people," said Liggins. "It seeks to gain friendships and understanding, not humiliation."

Liggins also called on people willing to have "moments of courage."

"Remind them of scripture: That love does not rejoice in evil," Liggins said. 

Liggins closed by telling attendees when they leave the luncheon, "You will be the truth; you will be the judge, and you will be the love."

Brandi Stone, a member of New Mexico's MLK commission who attended the luncheon, said she was inspired by Liggins. Stone, who is also director at UNM African American Student Services at University of New Mexico, said she looks forward to bring some of what she heard Monday into her class.

"(Liggins) absolutely was the perfect speaker for a time like this," Stone said. "This luncheon gathers such a diverse crowd. He mobilized us to think about how ... loving your neighbor can create significant change for our community."