By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
To commemorate the famous civil rights leader and his vision for justice in America, the Del Rio community held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March Monday morning.
The MLK march was led by Miss Del Rio and Miss Val Verde and was accompanied by local members of the community walking from Star Park and ending at the Val Verde County Courthouse.
King, a Baptist minister and activist, was a prominent leader in the civil rights moment through the 1950’s and 60’s before he was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noted as the third Monday each January, was first recognized as a federal holiday in 1986 and all 50 states finally recognized it as a state government holiday in 2000.
This was the first MLK March in Del Rio since 2000. The last two marches has been postponed due to concerns regarding COVID-19.
Esme Meza, a member of the MLK Committee, said the MLK March started in Del Rio 19 years ago by the former councilwomen at the time. She said it was important for them to share their experiences and honor King’s journey and beliefs towards freedom and equality.
“Years ago we didn’t have a march or a walk here in Del Rio and the council felt it was important to have a march and bring that education and first hand experiences to the community,” Meza said.
The ceremonial events continued at the Val Verde County Courthouse. The courthouse program began with an opening prayer and continued with the national anthem and words of respect by former county judge Mike Fernandez.
At the end of the program, members of the community were given the opportunity to speak at the podium and share their beliefs and values. Anginetta Walker expressed her appreciation for the Del Rio community and discussed her views on diversity.
“Wanting to be different and changing our behaviors is what is going to bring about change; transforming our mind is the only way to start the process of change,” Walker said.
To continue the commemoration, the 2014 movie “Selma” was screened at the Paul Poag Theatre and the Whitehead Memorial Museum had the “City of Hope”: a display of King’s Poor People’s Campaign. Michael Diaz, director of the Whitehead, said the MLK March had a small turnout when it first started in Del Rio, but has grown over the years. “People did show up today and we were happy to see a good turnout,” Diaz said. “Hopefully in the next couple years, (the March) will gain momentum and more people will show up to honor Martin Luther King Jr. day.”
Meza said the MLK March is the city’s way of bringing people together to honor King’s beliefs and various accomplishments. She said Del Rio has a service-oriented community and it is important to recognize that part of the city during a federal holiday.
“(King) was a scholar, a minister, and a civil rights leader; he was taught to do everything in a non-violent way and that is an important message to pass on,” Meza said.
