San Francisco march honors Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 16, 2023
On Monday, Jan. 16 at 11 a.m., a parade commenced from San Francisco’s Caltrain station, commemorating the federal holiday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Organized by the public charity, Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation, the march received widespread local turnout, attended by notable organizations including the Glide Memorial Church, United Airlines, the San Francisco Boys & Girls Club, Jack and Jill of America and the Katherine Delmar Burke School.
Marchers crossed the Lefty O’Doul Bridge adjacent to Oracle Park, memorializing the historic crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, when civil rights demonstrators marching from Selma to Montgomery were violently assaulted by state troopers and local authorities. Two days later, Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully completed the march from Selma to Montgomery, raising awareness of the need for Black voting rights.
After honoring the bridge’s symbolism, the parade continued for 1.5 miles, culminating in a spiritual reflection on Dr. King led by the San Francisco Interfaith Council at the Yerba Buena Gardens. The march served as both a celebration of the social progress Martin Luther King, Jr. achieved and a reminder of the work that still needs to be done.
