Francisco Romero, left, and Everardo Rivera joined the hundreds who marched from Plaza Park to the Performing Arts Center in Oxnard on Jan. 17 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Photos courtesy of Jess Gutierrez ©2011.
By Jess Gutierrez
Hundreds marched from Oxnard’s Plaza Park to the Oxnard Performing Arts Center on Monday, Jan. 17 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Under sunny warm weather, families, individuals, elected officials from throughout the county, and community organizations carried signs and banners promoting their personal cause, all with Dr. King’s spirit of nonviolence and equality.
Sign messages read: “Speak to the Nations, be open,” “Dr. King stood with the workers and the poor,” and “Be the peace you wish to see in the world.”
Everardo Rivera held his five year old son Emiliano’s hand throughout the march as they carried a picture of former UFW founder and leader, Cesar Chavez. Chavez greatly influenced by Dr. King, for decades fought against the injustices faced by campesinos in the state’s agribusiness industry.
The annual King Jr. Day March is organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Ventura County said former Oxnard councilman, Bedford Pinkard, one of the original organizers.
U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, was one of several speakers who praised Dr. King’s legacy before the march got under way. Joining Capps, were county Supervisors John Zaragoza and Steve Bennett, Oxnard City Councilmember Carmen Ramirez. Also marching were Oxnard Interim Police Chief Jason Benites, and Oxnard PD Deputy Chief Scott Whitney and County Sheriff Geoff Dean.
The Channel Islands High School marching band provided the music for the more than 500 marchers as they played at the back of the march. The Oxnard High School band, directed by OHS Band Director Fundi Legohn, and the MLK Celebration Choir, provided the music at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center special Dr. King program.
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