A multiethnic crowd of more than 20,000 jubilant walkers from all over Northern California flowed like a human river as they filled sidewalks and streets Monday in the 31st annual March for the Dream.

Appropriately, the march was held on the federal holiday that has commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. for 25 years. The iconic civil-rights activist and Baptist minister was assassinated in 1968. One of his most powerful moments was 1963's "I Have a Dream" speech.

In Sacramento's morning chill, three groups of bundled-up marchers gathered at the Oak Park Community Center, Sacramento City College and Grant High School. The groups left from those points and eventually converged to walk together on the final leg of the march, which ended at the Sacramento Convention Center.

Along the way, drums pounded, dancers writhed, friends and strangers linked arms, parents pushed baby strollers, sororities and fraternities carried flags, members of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club revved their Harley-Davidsons, and chants echoed off buildings ("We are the 99 percent!").

Knots of smiling people walked with purpose as they proudly carried banners proclaiming their affiliations (NAACP, United Native Americans, Buddhists for Peace and Culture, Greater Sacramento Urban League) and slogans ("Behold the Promise," "Occupy the Dream," "Yes We Can").

The event is organized by the Elk Grove-based nonprofit MLK365. Its agenda is to advance King's vision for nonviolent social change "as a strategy for building strong and healthy communities," said director Sam Starks.

Certainly the spirit of volunteerism had its day during the march, at the Convention Center and earlier at the Firehouse Community Center in Del Paso Heights. That's where 75 volunteers – adults and children alike – cleaned and painted the facility and playground.

Along the parade route was the Rev. Carl Dorn from the 156-year-old Olivet Baptist Church in Marysville. This was his fifth March for the Dream.

"My purpose for being here is to unify, not just blacks or Hispanics or Asians, but all of God's children," he said. "The only way we'll have peace on this earth is if we all join together."

Keadrian Belcher-Harris is the founder of the self-esteem-building group Captivating Ladies Acquiring Successful Standards Yearly, and was surrounded by some of its young members.

"We're very involved in the community, and today we're able to walk arm in arm, living the dream and legacy of Martin Luther King," she said. "It's like a miracle."

Attorney Bill Davies walked with his young daughter, while his son walked with his fourth-grade class. "As a family, we want our kids to be less materialistic and more engaged in the community, to grow up in a better society," he said.

Mike Duncan is the head of the Native Dads Network. "We're a Native American organization working with the community to promote fatherhood and wellness," he said. "We're standing with our African American brothers for our rights as colored people."

"Martin Luther King recognized the connection between social ills and the money being spent on the Vietnam War," said John Reiger, president of the Sacramento chapter of Veterans for Peace. "Today we're honoring his legacy of anti-war protest."

When the marchers reached their destination, they crowded around the Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency Sacramento for a rally, which included thanking military veterans for their service.

Following appearances by high school marching bands, a drum corps and a uniformed ROTC marching unit, several VIPs addressed the crowd from the back of a flatbed truck. Standing with them were members of the Sacramento City Council and Sacramento Bee publisher Cheryl Dell. Mayor Kevin Johnson was not there because of a series of pressing meetings but did appear earlier at the Oak Park Community Center.

Concluding his brief speech, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, shouted to the crowd, "We want to keep the dream alive!" A roar went up.

Inside the Convention Center were rows of booths offering information on education, employment, health, social services and safety. A massive adjoining room was the venue for the Multicultural Talent Showcase of Stars and the Dramatic Actors Improv.

Standing nearby was a young woman who identified herself as "Queen Platinum" of the Royal Family Motorcycle Social Club. She said she's a full-time college student with a full-time job.

"We're watching the dream come true," she said, summarizing the heart of the day.

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Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni at (916) 321-1128.

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