Despite chilly weather and the threat of rain, hundreds of Tucsonans of all ages and races gathered on the University of Arizona mall on Monday for the 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March. Clarence Boykins, President of the Tucson-Southern Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce and march organizer, greeted the crowd on the mall.
After a blessing, speakers reminded the marchers that although African Americans have made great progress since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, there is more work to do. In his address, Pima County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard Elias alluded to Arizona's budget crisis and the state's Republican-controlled legislature. He called upon all Tucsonans to work together to raise up the less fortunate--regardless of race.
Marchers walked, chanted, and sang their way from the UA to the DeMeester Performance Center at Randolph Park, where they heard more speeches and enjoyed music performances and fine food. MLK events continue today.
This article originally appeared in my Progressive Examiner column. Click this link to see the slide show.
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