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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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Activists honor Dr. Martin Luther King |
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| Activists honor Dr. Martin Luther King | ||
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by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid - SGN A&E Writer Children in strollers, a group of Latino men and women that at times were chanting and jumping in the air to make their point, and activists of every stripe of the rainbow all converged last Monday to not only celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, but the fact that, for the first time in history, this day also kicked off celebration of the inauguration of the nation's first black president. Many carried signs with the image of Dr. King, as well as president Obama's famous "yes we can" catchphrase on one placard. And for the first time in many years, there was a large and very vocal GBLTQ presence, which included Gay City, Equality Now and several HIV education groups, including BABES, a group that works with women with AIDS/HIV. Some of the men in the Gay City contingent walked hand in hand to bring attention to the need for more legislation for Gay marriage and GLBTQ rights. Around them and beside them other activists sung refrains of "If I Had a Hammer," and "Ain't Gonna Study War No More," and other chanted anti-war, pro-veterans sentiments, while a huge contingent of over 50 people held up yellow signs urging more attention to the situation that has heated up in Israel along the Gaza Strip and caused thousands of civilian deaths in recent weeks. At the rally at the Federal Building downtown, speakers from Radical Women, First Nations, and one from a Palestinian organization spoke to the need to continue the work started by slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, to protect human rights, end the occupation of Palestine, and appropriate some of the government bailout money for social needs like education and help for mortgage-burdened homeowners. The two brothers from First Nations, who were from the Oglala tribe, also did a song in honor of the Dr. King march and the next day's inauguration. Finally, after an afternoon of marching, chanting, networking and listening to speakers, at least one third of the crowd (which was estimated at 10,000) took off on special Metro buses for the new Garfield Community Center for a community feed featuring Ezell's chicken and all the fixings, as well as enchiladas and salad, all donated by Ezell's and other groups. It also must be added that for the first time since this writer has lived here (since 1987), the weather was chilly, but clear and sunny, which probably accounted for the fact that this year's march was the largest in recent memory. |
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