Thousands in Sacramento march for Martin Luther King Jr. ‘Unity and community’
Several thousand people marched through the fog Monday in Sacramento to honor Martin Luther King Jr., continuing a decades-long tradition.
Sacramento’s 44th annual March for a Dream, held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, started at Sacramento City College in Land Park and ended at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center downtown, where a diversity expo was held.
Marchers carried signs bearing King’s face, paying tribute to the slain civil rights leader’s life and work. King was born Jan. 15, 1929, and would have turned 97 this year. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
The march came as participants reflected not only on the gains of the civil rights movement, but on ongoing struggles over racial equity, voting rights and political division that continue to shape the nation decades after King’s death nearly 58 years ago.
One marcher, Lisa Morris, carried a handmade sign quoting King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“Because of the way things are going today with the current state of government, I think we need more unity,” Morris said.
Music echoed around the diversity expo at the convention center as the MLK Jr. Celebration Choir sang, welcoming people in.
The choir, composed of more than 100 people, represents churches of various denominations. Led by brothers the Revs. Tecoy Porter, 55, and Ellington Porter, 52 — both pastors at Genesis Church Sacramento — the group has gathered for more than 20 years and has performed at Martin Luther King Jr. events across the capital region throughout the month.
“Our choir is an example of what a beloved community looks like, feels like,” Tecoy said.
Ellington Porter, also a professor at North Central University in Minneapolis, said he returns to Sacramento every year around Martin Luther King Jr. Day to sing with the choir.
“Everyone gives their time and talent and their treasure to be here, so that we can have unity and just show what unity and community is all about,” he said.
Booths from local organizations lined the convention center, including Sacramento Regional Transit, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Sacramento Juneteenth Inc. and the Crocker Art Museum.
One vendor, Evonna McIntosh, said she wanted to participate in the expo to “be around our people” and share information about kids’ literature and literacy.
McIntosh and her boyfriend, Isaah Alford, created Milah’s Storybook Corner, a children’s book series featuring their 2-year-old daughter.
“We just could not find enough books that had Black girl faces, or Black faces at all,” McIntosh said. “We just decided to create Milah’s Storybook Corner dedicated to our daughter and also to other little kids of color.”
Tecoy Porter said gathering with the choir, especially at events like the march, feels like a reunion.
“Martin Luther King talked about the beloved community that he dreamed about. Well, it exists,” he said. “I think we forget about that.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2026 at 12:49 PM.
