Martin Luther King Jr. Day brings community together

Hundreds of Rocklin and Roseville residents came together Monday morning and shared a sense of unity celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Nonprofit organization seeMYchild hosted the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade and celebration at Johnson-Springview Park. SeeMYchild founder Twiana Armstrong primarily hosts the event to bring the community closer together. "The expectation is that we all work towards that beloved community. … We know the principles, and it also comes with action items, so we can all say that yes, we have a hand in making this a beloved community," said Armstrong. "Every year, I give out a charge, so the charge this year is to make sure that we all work together, we know how because we've been given the prescription to become a beloved community." Armstrong's goal at the event was tangible, as she gave an actionable item anyone could do: "Please look around you, there's another expectation. … Please make a friend. These are your neighbors. … Please make sure that you make a friend who does not look like you because that's what the beloved community is about." Other organizations, including Placer County, Stand Up Placer, Sierra College, Placer Women Democrats, the American Red Cross, Sierra Native Alliance and more attended to provide resources to people of all ages. Notable figures in the community also attended, including Roseville Mayor Bruce Houdesheldt, Rocklin Councilmembers Bill Halldin and David Bass and former Rocklin Councilmember Dave Butler, who is currently running for Placer County Supervisor. The celebration wasn't only for adults. Many high schoolers and elementary students came out to learn about Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the many stories of African American struggles in history, present-day issues and resources in their communities. About five elementary students entered and won an artwork contest inspired by King, each sharing the importance of celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Local high school students were given the opportunity to highlight King's philosophies and how they still hold importance in the present day. For example, Rocklin High School senior David shared King's principles of nonviolence, which include: "Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people, … nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding, … nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. … nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. … nonviolence chooses love instead of hate, … and nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win." Longtime Placer County resident Diana Madoshi, 78, also spoke at the event, giving guests a mission to strive for, saying, "I tell you, and implore you, we must rise to the occasion. It is more than committing yourself to a walk today. It is a commitment for humanity and for all us. If we want to make this a beloved community, if we want to make a difference in our nation and in our community here, it starts with all of us recognizing that our voice is important, our democracy is at stake and we want to have better things for these young children who spoke and so eloquently participated." At the last seeMYchild Juneteenth celebration, Madoshi shared that she became interested in social justice from an early age after witnessing historical events, including the death of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 after "allegedly flirting with a white woman four days earlier," according to history.com. Since then, "I knew I wanted to do something that makes a difference," Madoshi said. SeeMYChild also hosted last Juneteenth at Johnson Springview Park, according to a previous Gold Mountain California News Media article. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865. While it was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, it has been celebrated for more than 100 years. Like the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, it was an event meant to bring the community together. The next Juneteenth celebration is set for June 15 at Johnson Springview Park. More information will be available at seemychild.org/placer-juneteenth.