Gloria Verdieu | 18.01.2007 22:35

A new San Diego coalition offers an alternative to the militarized Martin Luther King Day parade.

The event was organized by the King/Chávez Coalition for Justice and Unity, which was formed after last’s years King Day Parade. A diverse group of community members came together to discuss what to do about the parade, which had been moved out of the community and had become disturbingly militarized and completely co-opted by corporate interests. The King Day Parade has turned into a tourist attraction that represents everything that Martin Luther King was against.

Organizers plan to return to this park in 2008, but to also have a march through the community to the park.

Related: Community Retakes Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Don McEvoy Remembers Martin Luther King | Is The Official San Diego Martin Luther King Jr Parade Too Official? | Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence: Audio and Text

SAN DIEGO
New coalition offers alternative to militarized parade

By Gloria Verdieu
San Diego, Calif.
Published Jan 18, 2007 1:01 AM
The first annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Rally and Picnic to honor the 78th birthday of Rev. King was held at beautiful Martin L. King Park in the diverse working-class community of southeast San Diego. People brought all types of homemade dishes and food to put on the grill. Some said that this event reminded them of a big family gathering.

The event was organized by the King/Chávez Coalition for Justice and Unity, which was formed after last’s years King Day Parade. A diverse group of community members came together to discuss what to do about the parade, which had been moved out of the community and had become disturbingly militarized and completely co-opted by corporate interests. The King Day Parade has turned into a tourist attraction that represents everything that Martin Luther King was against.

The community group then organized a contingent in the Cesar Chávez Parade that was held in March, and again witnessed the same type of militarization. The group later voted to name itself the King/Chávez Coalition for Justice and Unity.

This year’s picnic and rally began with a recording of King’s 1967 “Beyond Vietnam” speech. Then there was a drum call by young African drummers ranging in age from 4 to 18.

After the drummers were a number of speakers making the connections among struggles of all working people. Enrique Morones of Border Angels spoke on immigration and border issues.

The assemblage was honored with the presence of Minister James Haggard of the Christian Fellowship Church. Rev. Haggard knew Rev. King and was a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He recounted how King spoke out on Vietnam and U.S. militarism. Haggard noted that if King were alive today, he would be speaking out against the Iraq war. He also commented on the correctness of making the connection between King and Chávez and on the need to unite the struggles of all nationalities. He praised the picnic, rally and the organizers for having a vision and acting on it.

Professor Pat Washington spoke on the criminal justice system. Professor Jesse Mills spoke about racism. Poetry was read by the African American Writers & Artists, the Common Collective and the Langston Hughes Poetry Circle. Sylvia Telafaro, president of AAWA, announced that Mumia Abu-Jamal had been made an honorary member of her organization and that everyone should be involved in the struggle to free him. The Radical Cheerleaders performed several cheers that they do to disrupt and agitate in front of Minutemen at day labor hiring sites, and to support immigration and border rallies, LGBT rallies and other social justice events.

The rally also included speakers from FIST (Fight Imperialism Stand Together), the International Socialist Organization and Copwatch. There was a speaker from the San Diego Black Contractors who brought his group to this rally after concluding their own rally that addressed the issue of unfair work practices. Workers World organizer Bob McCubbin tied the issues together with his talk, which emphasized the need to intensify our struggle to end war, racism and poverty, to free the Cuban Five, Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier, and all political prisoners. The rally concluded with a reading of “An Urge to Surge,” an essay that Abu-Jamal wrote before Bush’s speech on Jan 10.

People left with a good feeling about the event. Everyone agreed that it should become a yearly event. Organizers plan to return to this park in 2008, but to also have a march through the community to the park.

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