Black Student Union (BSU) members from both Los Banos High School and Pacheco High School participated in the 28th annual march and celebration for Martin Luther King Day, January 19, in downtown Los Banos.

The march began at Los Banos City Hall, where Mayor Mike Amabile spoke and read portions of Dr. King’s speeches. Participants then marched down Sixth Street to New Bethel Church, with many stopping to take time to think about why the march was important and what Dr. King’s messages of unity, equality and justice mean in their lives and in the world today.

For some of the students participating, the event was a first-time experience. For example, Luna Munguia (12), BSU member and student officer, was given the chance to volunteer to lead the march, which allowed her to enjoy the event even more. “This was more than just going to an event,” Munguia explained. “It was seeing history in a real way.”

Munguia also mentioned that students were able to see firsthand how a large event such as a march can be carried out in a small town. She mentioned that the location of the march was chosen to show students how one community can come together regardless of the size of the community. “We wanted to have a number of people in a small town, to give them a better opportunity to learn from each other, and to find commonality in the things that we believe in,” Munguia said.

As for why BSU chose to organize the MLK field trip, one of the main reasons was to provide students with a sense of historical events and traditions they may not be aware of. “The main reason for the MLK field trip is to give students a different perspective and to introduce tradition to many of our students that do not know our history,” Munguia said.

Through attending the march, students were able to learn and to see the relevancy of Dr. King’s work in their lives today. BSU hopes that more people will attend next year’s march, whether as a volunteer or walker.