Antoine Phillips, a first-time participant of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Walk-A-Thon, marched through the downtown Riverside streets as a way to reconnect with his old community.
“I graduated in ’99 and left here when I was 24 years old. So now at 44, it feels like I’m starting all over again,” said Phillips who recently resettled in Southern California after working in New York for 17 years. “These are all new people that I’m meeting and I’m just excited to be back here.”
Phillips was just one of hundreds of participants who walked in the Riverside African American Historical Society’s yearly 2-mile trek honoring the late civil rights leader. The event, featuring a mix of student ambassadors from surrounding school districts, community members and prominent city figures, led its attendees from Bordwell Park — located on Martin Luther King Boulevard — through downtown streets until they reached the Riverside Main Library.
Once at the library, the Kansas Avenue Pathfinder Club gave a short musical performance while a mix of nonprofits and local organizations handed out informational pamphlets to the crowd.
Juanita Kodera, the organization’s vice president, said this year’s theme was “Walking in Harmony.” She explained it symbolized a reunification for residents in the wake of a growing national political divide that coincided with isolation stemming from the pandemic.
The national holiday also landed on the same day as Donald Trump’s inauguration. Rep. Mark Takano, Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes and other local politicians acknowledged the ceremony occurring across the nation as they spoke about the importance of MLK Day to a crowd gathered in front of the Stratton Community Center.
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“They’re aware of inauguration day,” Councilmember Philip Falcone said in an interview with The Riverside Record. “Maybe not everyone’s happy about the results, but they recognize that’s the way democracy works, and we’re ready to continue moving on and working together.”
But Rose Mayes, the organization’s president and longtime community activist, stressed that she preferred event-goers focus on King’s legacy.
“I know that we had civil rights and we had riots and sit-ins,” Mayes said. “But now it’s time for us to come together in harmony, because we’ve got to live together or we’ll perish together. And I prefer living together in peace and harmony.”
Mayes also said she wanted those in attendance to prioritize the event’s three-decade milestone, which she felt highlighted another important theme.
“It’s time for us to pass the torch,” she said. “Every year we have seen an increase in the numbers of students involved. Just the idea of having young people interested in the things that we are doing in our community is a plus as far as I’m concerned.”
Moments before the march commenced, Eric Strickland announced that he was awarding a $1,000 scholarship to Ranique Brown in honor of his mother Susan Strickland who passed away almost two years ago. Susan, an educator and leader within the Black community in Riverside, was the first president of the Riverside African American Historical Society.
Brown, a 27-year-old international student studying cybersecurity at Riverside City College, has volunteered with the nonprofit and other local cultural community organizations since moving to Riverside years ago.
“Once I came into the community, I was attached to Rose,” Brown said. “So I’ve been under her wing for a long time. It’s a good feeling to know that she trusts me and she wants me to learn from her so I could potentially take over.”
Proceeds from the annual walk-a-thon support the Civil Rights Institute, fund various scholarships and pay for maintenance of the MLK statue in downtown Riverside.
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