Large crowd attends MLK Day event in Seaside

“We shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

Those words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech still ring true for many today. He delivered that famous speech at the March on Washington, calling for the country to embrace the ideal that all men are created equal. Some believe the fight is far from over.

On Monday, celebrations were held all over the country and on the Central Coast to honor the legacy of the civil rights leader. Hundreds of people banded together in Seaside for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. March.

“It’s not just African American people,” Eraya Johnson said. “You have whites, you have Mexicans, you have everybody here united together, walking as one.”

The rally was one of several happening on the Central Coast, just days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday.

“We’re here to work with everyone and to bring awareness to what’s happening in our country right now–immigrant rights, xenophobia, Islamophobia and institutionalized racism,” said Regina Mason, president of the NAACP’s Monterey County Branch.

Mason said after years of progress, she believes some people have regressed. She also believes it is up to Millennials to make the change happen.

“We need the young people to understand that we’ve opened doors for them, but it’s their turn to step up to the plate and help resolve the civil rights issues of today,” Mason said.

State leaders say they are ready to protect some of the state’s most vulnerable.

“Our state government will stand by the workers in our state to make sure they’re protected from any of the President-elect’s threats to do mass deportation,” said State Senator Bill Monning (D-17th District). “We will not let that happen, we will stand by our immigrant community–the backbone, in many ways, to our agricultural and hospitality, tourism economy.”

And while the American Civil Liberties Union hopes Trump’s campaign promises were just rhetoric, the organization is ready to respond if he follows through on what they consider “unconstitutional.”

“The ACLU’s message to people is (that) you have a right under our constitution to speak up and to speak out and to let your opinions be known and to preserve our constitution and our individual rights against whatever attacks may come,” Michelle Welsh, board member of the ACLU of Monterey County Chapter and Northern California, said.

Seaside has a special connection to Dr. King. He once visited the community in 1961.

ORIGINAL POST:

Community groups honored the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during a parade and speeches in Seaside on Monday.

Like many MLK Day events across the nation, participants included a marching band, elected officials, and civil rights groups.

Many expressed fears that their civil liberties could be lost under the policies of President-elect Trump.

“Our state government will stand by the workers in our state to make sure they’re protected from any of the President-elect’s threats to do mass deportation,” said State Senator Bill Monning (D-17th District). “We will not let that happen, we will stand by our immigrant community–the backbone, in many ways, to our agricultural and hospitality, tourism economy.”

Presidential politics wasn’t the only topic. Other groups marched in support of diversity, multi-culturalism, the environment and sustainable living.

Tonight at 5 and 6 p.m., KION’s Mariana Hicks will have a full report.