Oakland

Oakland events celebrate MLK Jr. Day through service, action

People across Oakland celebrated MLK Jr. Day, remembering his life and legacy

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People across Oakland celebrated MLK Jr. Day, remembering his life and legacy. Velena Jones reports.

People in Oakland were celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, where several events took place.

For many, this looked like a day of service and a day of action. This includes Kharriyah Shabbaz, the host of Higher Ground's MLK Day of Service, who noted the importance of remembering his legacy.

"It's so important that we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and those who stood beside him to really recognize their work and to take what they have done and take it to the next level," Shabbazz said.

Volunteers at Higher Ground Development organized several clean-ups and beautification projects, including one at Brookfield Elementary.

This is the group's 14th year working to enhance East Oakland communities. Raymond Marinelli, a volunteer at Higher Ground, pointed out the patch of greenery the volunteers were tending to.

"What you see here used to be concrete sunken in. Four feet of water, kids would play in it and we realized it was not safe," Marinelli said. "So, over the years it turned into a trickle effect bringing both neighborhoods Sobrante and Brookfield together."

Keeping the environment in mind, volunteers with California Climate Action spent the day working to restore parts of Arroyo Viejo Park and the recreation center.

"MLK's whole message was that action starts in the community. If we want to see change, we have to be on the forefront of that change," Juan Topete of the California Climate Action Corps said.

Hundreds also gathered in front of the Oakland City Hall for the 11th annual "Reclaim MLK's Radical Legacy March," hosted by the Anti Police-Terror Project.

The group's co-founder Cat Books said this year may be the most important time to take action with President Donald Trump taking office for a second time the same day.

"They can expect us in these streets not just today but tomorrow, next week, next year," Books said. "We are clear that when the enemy feels when they are losing the fight, that is when we strike the hardest, the most vicious. they understand that they are losing and that’s why they put that man in power."

Dr. King's message of equality also continues to live on in the younger generation.

"Just being at this event for MLK is just super, super important because we need to speak our minds, speak our hearts in this day and age where a lot of kids aren’t able to do that," Alonzo Henderson, director of Young, Gifted and Black said.

The organization hopes its a message that resonates with everyone - not just on MLK Jr. day, but everyday.

"We can do anything if we really try," Azariah Hughes, a student of Young, Gifted and Black said.

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