MLK March for the Dream 1/20/25 | 10am | Cathcart and Pacific in Downtown Santa Cruz | Post-March Event at SC Civic
MLK, Jr., March for the Dream has become a powerful tradition, symbolizing the ongoing pursuit of justice, equality, and civil rights for all in Santa Cruz County. The March will begin at 10 am on Monday, January 20, at Pacific Ave. and Cathcart Street, Santa Cruz, and will culminate in a program at the Civic Auditorium 11 am – 12 noon. Please note that the march will happen rain or shine.
This year, we are gearing up for an impactful event and need your support to make it truly extraordinary. We are seeking sponsors, volunteers, and groups to march with us. We will march through downtown Santa Cruz then convene at the Civic Auditorium for an inspiring program from 11 am – noon featuring a resource fair and keynote speaker Gregory Hodge, who is the Chief Network Officer of the Brotherhood of Elders Network, with a background in community organizing and advocacy. He has dedicated his life to creating inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive.
The January 20 date holds dual significance as both the federal holiday honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a moment to reflect on the importance of safeguarding and advancing civil rights. Inspired by Dr. King’s tireless work, including his role in the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which brought critical racial justice reforms to U.S. immigration law, this day serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring need for unity and collective action. Guided by his legacy, we come together to celebrate equality, justice, and the ongoing journey toward a more inclusive and equitable society.
The March and commemorative program will celebrate Dr. King’s message of equality, justice, and non-violence. The NAACP Santa Cruz County Branch is committed to fostering mutual respect and peaceful collaboration in all its activities and events and invites all participants to join us in upholding these shared values.
We invite all organizations and people to come together in solidarity with the dream of Dr. King to march with us and support us. Visit the links below to join us!
NEWS
Featured
WE ARE DONE DYING
We do not have the full right to live in this country.
You can change this.
Business as usual may cost us our livelihoods and our lives.
You can change this.
Community Information
NAACP Santa cruz has a list of resources for the community ranging from reporting discrimination to eviction prevention.
Our Vision
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
The NAACP, along with our half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States, are frontline advocates committed to raising awareness for political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens in the electoral process.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The NAACP advocates for smarter, results-based criminal justice policies to keep our communities safe, including treatment for addiction and mental health problems, judicial discretion in sentencing, and an end to racial disparities at all levels of the system.
EDUCATION
The NAACP works to ensure that all disadvantaged students and students of color are on the path to college or a successful career by ensuring access to great teaching, equitable resources, and a challenging curriculum.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
The NAACP Economic Department recognizes the importance of the economy and economic issues in advancing an equal opportunity society and aims to address the challenging economic realities facing our country including poverty, lack of jobs and disproportionate high unemployment, lack of affordable housing, foreclosures, etc.
ENVIRONMENTAL CLIMATE JUSTICE
Environmental injustice, including the proliferation of climate change, has a disproportionate impact on communities of color and low income communities in the United States and around the world.
SANTA CRUZ BLACK HEALTH MATTERS INITIATIVE
“Santa Cruz Black Health Matters Initiative focuses needed attention and community partnership to address the social determinants of health in our local Black community. We lead this effort through the arts and culture, which speak to the tradition of gathering, of sharing, and our human need to have fresh air, community, and joy at the heart of a healthy life. In addition to being high-risk for COVID-19 infection, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports serious and negative effects “across different areas of [Black] people’s lives, including...with household finances, jobs, health care, housing, transportation, caregiving, and well-being.”
-The Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center
We have suffered a major defeat with the election of Donald Trump, and Republican electoral victories.