PORTLAND, Ore. — Dozens of people in Portland marked the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They marched across the St. Johns Bridge in Northwest Portland to commemorate the historic Selma march for civil rights of 1965.
On a cold Saturday morning, dozens gathered at the bridge to walk in the steps of history. Chad Brown with the local organization Love is King teamed up with Forest Park Conservancy for this march. It honored the work and words of dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"I thought it was important to do this, just because the circumstances in the times that we're in, not just Black History Month, but across our nation. I feel this is an opportunity to bring people together. All people," said Brown.
After a short presentation about the civil rights movement, the crowd made its way step by step across the bridge.
In March of 1965, civil rights activists including Dr. King led thousands of marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.
They faced brutal attacks by state troopers, but the movement led to the Voting Rights Act. The reenactment in Portland spoke volumes to attendees like Angela Hernandez.
"I think that is incredibly powerful," said Hernandez. "I think that we are all human and right now we're going to do this to recognize history and how far we've come from the past."
A crowd from all walks of life, side by side, sharing a mission to break barriers.
"We can't do this single handedly," said Brown. "We have to do it together. This is what it's going to take to move forward as a community, as any act of love."
The event also featured performances and speeches, including one from Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty.