Eugene resident Stacy Hoffman was one of hundreds who showed their support for Martin Luther King Jr. during commencement speeches at the 29th annual MLK Day March.
“You gotta fight for your right to be free,” Hoffman said.“I used to march like this down in California, and I am so happy to see that we got all these people coming out to march up here in Oregon.”
Several hundred people participated this year, with the walk starting at Autzen Stadium and ending at the Shedd Institute downtown.
Students of color and their allies gathered in front of Johnson Hall at University of Oregon on Martin Luther King, Jr. day to proclaim solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Photo by Amanda Shigeoka.
“Black Lives Matter,” was a frequent slogan written on picket signs and posters.
For Hoffman, who moved here from San Jose, California in 2008, this is her fourth march in Eugene.
“This is where I need to be,” Hoffman said, “I’m a role model for my daughters, and I want them to see how important supporting your community can be.”
This year’s march, hosted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was sponsored by the University of Oregon and Lane Transit District. LTD provided free bus passes for marchers to get to and from the event.
The University of Oregon-represented groups included the Black Student Union, the Black Student Task Force and Black Women of Achievement.
BWA made a presentation just before the march urging all those gathered to, “Take your well-thought, well-meaing words and turn them into action.”
The march ended with a program at the Shedd Institute, where Elder Gordon Bettles of the Klamath Tribe began by leading attendees in a Native American song for change.
These students are a few of hundreds who showed their support for Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy at the 29th annual MLK Day March. Photo by Amanda Shigeoka.
The MLK Choir, made up of church choir members and musicians from all over Eugene, provided live gospel music throughout the program.
The program ended with an awards ceremony that celebrated two members of the Eugene community who are making a difference in civil rights. This year’s winners are Sarah Ross and Leah Dunbar.
Ross is a social activist and was instrumental in starting Eugene’s first MLK Day celebration back in 1983. She also created Honoring Our New Ethnic Youth, Inc., an organization that assists multiracial families.
Dunbar is a local teacher and pioneer for education equity. She developed the Courageous Conversations curriculum, creating a space for high schoolers to engage with and expose social inequality.
The event showed how, decades after his death, there are still people working toward the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
