Marching not for one, but for all
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
That message came across during the MLK march and “Mountain of Food” Collection honoring Dr. King at Fresno’s City Hall. Marchers expressed their aspirations through a sea of signs promoting justice, peace and equality. Although participants of the march came for different reasons, we all came with a dream.
The same forces that cause persistent social injustices also cause continuous environmental degradation, from which we are only beginning to experience the harmful effects.
These forces do not only target one. Thus, as a community we must rely on each other to stop these assaults against nature, not only for ourselves and our health, but for our world. Because Earth has provided plenty for us, it’s time to give back. From the burning of fossil fuels, to the overuse of resources, we need a change.
I believe I speak for Fresno’s youth: We are the inheritors of today’s affairs, so we must be the change. For this reason I march, voicing the dream of creating a more livable world. Not for one, but for all.
Berenice Alvarez, Fresno
This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 5:54 AM with the headline "Marching not for one, but for all."