Rather than celebrating their day off by lounging in bed, some UCLA students kicked off their holiday by marching through the rainy streets of Los Angeles in the Martin Luther King Kingdom Day Parade.
About 40 delegates from student groups such as the Cultural Affairs Commission, the African Student Union, Samahang Pilipino, Students for Justice in Palestine and Bruins for Obama left UCLA early in the morning to attend the parade, which was held in downtown Los Angeles on Monday morning.
After waiting under umbrellas and in makeshift hoods for a few hours in the drizzly cold, students were excited to move once the parade began. Many marched energetically in the front of the parade, chanting mantras such as “We’re fired up/Can’t take it no more” and waving colorful signs and scarves.
Community members came out to commemorate King’s messages of equality and peace, and to draw attention to the continued importance of a non-violent fight for social justice.
“My favorite part was singing our chants and having the crowd join in with us. It gave me a real sense of unity and that’s what I think we need,” said Lakea Youngblood, a member of the African Student Union.
UCLA participation in the event was sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Commission.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity for different progressive groups to come together to honor a great man that has done a lot for our community and more importantly, people of color and minority groups,” said Bernice Shaw, the Cultural Affairs Commissioner of the Undergraduate Students Association.
Paraders accompanied marching bands, dance groups, horses and floats as they walked about two miles down Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Thea Forrester, a first-year world arts and cultures student, attended the event after receiving a Facebook invitation that sparked her curiosity.
Forrester said she enjoyed the energetic dynamic of the parade.
“Even though it was cold, rainy and wet, everyone was very passionate and energetic,” she said.
She also said that her interactions with the members of the community marching and lining the streets stood out as highlights of the day.
Forrester walked with Bruins for Obama. She said that it was fun “handing out stickers and getting people excited about something.”
The parade ended with a speech made by Karen Bass, majority leader of the California State Assembly.
Bass, who paraded with the community, thanked participants. “I wanted to walk with the people because to me it was the best way to honor the tradition,” she said.
Randa Wahbe, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine, said she was surprised at the political nature of the event, but pleased with the way Bass engaged with and addressed the concerns of the crowd.
“I felt like we could connect to her on a personal level,” Wahbe said.
Shaw said the event was a success and it encouraged her to plan more events to involve students in the L.A. community in the future.
The parade also provided UCLA students with a good opportunity to escape the confines of Westwood and involve themselves in the larger L.A. community, said both Youngblood and Forrester. Like many of the other students in attendance, neither had previously participated in a Martin Luther King Day parade.
“I think it’s important for me to be involved in greater L.A. because this is where I live now. I don’t want to remain in the bubble and just be a student,” Forrester said.
Youngblood said she was excited to feel like a part of a community in such a new and diverse environment.
“It felt really good to be united, away from home and for a good cause,” Youngblood said.