Two Reasons to Feel Hopeful: MLK Day and Women's March

We love anything that celebrates connection and hope. That’s why we were happy to see signs of positive energy at a recent celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Women’s Marches in San Francisco, San Jose, and Redwood City. Here’s a snapshot of how people came together at these events.

photo credit: Muhi Khwaja, Focus Photography

MLK Celebration at Mitchell Park

Organized by the City of Palo Alto and Youth Community Service, this celebration took place at Mitchell Park Community Center on Monday, January 16th on what would have been Dr. King’s 88th birthday. The day included guest speakers, activities for youth and teens, music and dance performances, and a legacy exhibition displaying different periods of the civil rights movement.

Among the organizations that participated in this year’s event: Project Safety Net, Outlet Youth, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Aim High, and Stanford’s Muslim Student Union. Performers included Dance Connection, School of Rock and the Isaiah Phillips Band.

photo credit: Muhi Khwaja, Focus Photography

And did you know that one of the world’s leading scholars of Dr. King and his legacy is right here at Stanford? Claybourne Carson was selected by Mrs. Coretta Scott King to publish the papers of her late husband, and is the director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institution at Stanford.

The Institute works to inform a diverse global audience about King’s dream of global peace with social justice. You can learn more about the Institute here.

Women’s March

Many children like this girl in San Jose were among the marchers. Photo credit: Patrick Tehan/Bay Area News Group

From San Jose to Redwood City, San Francisco and even Oakland, women, men and young people from Palo Alto marched on January 20th in support of women’s rights, freedom of expression and more. The gatherings here in the Bay Area and around the country were filled with positive energy and a spirit of connection.