From Cathcart to Locust Street, marchers filled Pacific Avenue from curb to curb. The march drew over 1,000 community members into the streets, many with signs decrying the proposed actions of the incoming Trump administration or showing their support of the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities of Santa Cruz. Photos 1, 8 by Kyle James Allemand. Photos 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 by Keith Gelderloos. Photo 7 by Reggie Sasaki.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” wrote Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in 1963.

Later that year, in his book of sermons, “Strength to Love,” he wrote, “The ultimate measure of a person is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist. He held a Ph.D. in systematic theology and received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. He is remembered today for leading a nonviolent movement in the 1950s and 1960s to achieve legal equality for Black Americans in the United States amidst Jim Crow Laws, segregation and discrimination. 

He served as a spokesperson for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which eventually led the U.S. Supreme Court to rule racial segregation in public transportation unconstitutional. His work with civil rights groups to organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom contributed heavily to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Every year on the third Monday of January, MLK Day is celebrated nationwide to honor MLK and recognize his birthday on Jan. 15. 

This year, the third Monday was shared with the inauguration of President Donald Trump. 

While America’s political and business elite filled the nation’s capitol, cities across the country took collective action to uplift MLK’s legacy, while protesting Trump’s second Presidential term.

On the morning of Jan. 20, a crowd of over 1,000 gathered together in Downtown Santa Cruz to participate in the MLK People’s March for the Dream. People held up signs, chanted and sang as they marched from the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Cathcart Street to the Civic Auditorium where the post-march event was held. 

“We are here to be in solidarity with the movement to create a more nonviolent world and to support the idea of Martin Luther King,” said Anita Heckman, a member of the Artists Respond and Resist Together (ARRT), one of the groups marching downtown. “We believe in democracy and the value of every person.”

Along with many other organizations, Santa Cruz Pride echoed sentiments of empowerment through community support.

“I think it’s really important for all members of the community to remember that we are all here on this planet together and we should all be working towards finding a way to work together in peace and harmony,” said LaSundra McGowan, a Santa Cruz Pride board member. “I love seeing all the diversity out here today … It’s time for us to stand together and show that we are a community.”

After an hour of marching, around 300 people entered the Civic Auditorium to talk with tabling organizations and listen to the events five speakers: Assembly member Gail Pellerin; State Senator John Laird; Paulina Moreno, the director of Special Projects and the Thriving Immigrants Initiative at the Community Action Board (CAB) of Santa Cruz County; Elaine Johnson, the president of the Santa Cruz branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the executive director of Housing for Santa Cruz County; and the event’s keynote, Gregory Hodge, chief executive officer for the Brotherhood of Elders Network.

With impassioned words, the event’s speakers urged the audience to work together with their communities and join the many other activists across the country in resistance against the new administration. From first to last: (Elaine, Gail, Laird, Moreno, Hodge in order of speaking). Photo 1, 3, 4, 5 by Kyle James Allemand. Photo 2 by Keith Gelderloos.

Johnson weaved through the crowd, connecting to community members and organizers along the way. She had meticulously chosen the speakers and worked with the NAACP to organize the event.  

“It’s time for everyone to come together. We have to continue to do the work. Our ancestors did a lot of work before we were even born, and we got the torch passed to us. It’s time for us to continue to do the work,” said Johnson during an interview with City on a Hill Press. “As my friend said, it’s really coalition time … Let’s do MLK right today.”

Those who took the stage discussed a variety of topics, from reaffirming solidarity with immigrants to channeling fear into action while uplifting communities — especially those that will be affected by Trump’s Presidency.

During her speech, Moreno connected MLK’s message with CAB’s fight to eliminate poverty and create social change. 

“Dr. King’s work was rooted in the belief that all people deserve the opportunity to thrive regardless of their background, circumstances or the border they may cross in pursuit of a better life,” Moreno said. “Today also marks a critical moment in history as the proposed actions of the new president and his administration threaten the very fabric of justice, equality and freedom .… In response, nonprofits, grassroots organizers, faith-based leaders, school districts [and] local governments across our counties have come together to form a collective response that empowers and protects the rights of our immigrant communities.”

Gregory Hodge closed out the event, receiving multiple standing ovations for his speech. Hodge serves as CEO to the Brotherhood of Elders Network, an international effort of men of African ancestry who foster environments where Black boys and young men are empowered to flourish. 

In his speech, he encouraged everyone to reflect on how they can contribute to a better future, one full of hope that fulfills what MLK called a “life’s blueprint.”

“I can hear Doctor King asking us to reflect across the decades here in 2025, ‘what is the blueprint for our lives?,’” Hodge said. “Your blueprint must claim and acknowledge your humanity, your dignity as Black people, as Brown people, as queer folks, as Asian folks, as women, as trans folks, as immigrants, as differently abled folks, however you define yourself. Dr. King said it is not what they call you, it is what you answer to. Dr. King said your blueprint has to be defined by excellence.”  

After the event concluded, Hodge explained why King’s message personally resonated with him.
“[The] message is timeless because what he talked about in terms of human dignity, the idea of love, the idea of the beloved community, are all goals that I think a lot of us share,” said Hodge in an interview with City on a Hill Press. “King acted on his beliefs, and I think the difference between King and some other folks who give speeches and do things [is that] he was in the community, he was doing things, he was marching … King is one of those people who represents his generation without taking up all the space.”

Additional reporting by Keith Gelderloos.