Latinos overwhelmingly support President Barack Obama and they’re lauding him today on the inauguration of his second term.
But Latinos are also honoring another African-American today that they dearly cherish – Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. It just happens that Rev. King’s birthday, a federal holiday, is also observed today.
It may come to as a surprise to some to learn just how highly Latinos think of Rev. King. The city of San Antonio, the country’s seventh-largest and with a majority Mexican-American population, is home to one of the largest – some argue the largest – MLK Day marches in the country.
Last year it drew roughly 150,000 attendants and this year at least 100,000 were expected for today.
“San Antonio stands out on the American landscape as a unique big city that projects inclusiveness over rancor," Julian Castro, the city’s mayor and rising Democratic party star, told Fox News Latino. "The fact that our city has one of the largest MLK marches in the country reflects a history of different groups getting along for a greater purpose."
What’s going on in San Antonio is reflective of the deep sentiment Latinos feel for the legacy of Rev. King and the overall Black struggle for equality.
“What this turnout says is that Latinos recognize that many of our civil rights we have today is because of the work and sacrifices of Martin Luther King,” said Cid Wilson, a Wall Street analyst who sits on the board for the National Council of La Raza and is a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the country’s oldest Black civil rights group.
“He understood that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Wilson added.
The Latino link with Rev. King expands beyond San Antonio’s significantly large MLK Day march. Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, will be the first Latino to deliver the keynote address at the King Center’s commemorative service honoring the civil rights icon today in Atlanta.
A prominent Latino evangelist, Rodriguez’s prominent participation also shows that African-American activism today has also expanded to include Latinos – and particularly the push for comprehensive immigration reform.
“Latinos recognize that Martin Luther King Jr. is all of our heroes,” said Wilson. “That fight for
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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But Latinos are also honoring another African-American today that they dearly cherish – Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. It just happens that Rev. King’s birthday, a federal holiday, is also observed today.
It may come to as a surprise to some to learn just how highly Latinos think of Rev. King. The city of San Antonio, the country’s seventh-largest and with a majority Mexican-American population, is home to one of the largest – some argue the largest – MLK Day marches in the country.
Last year it drew roughly 150,000 attendants and this year at least 100,000 were expected for today.
“San Antonio stands out on the American landscape as a unique big city that projects inclusiveness over rancor," Julian Castro, the city’s mayor and rising Democratic party star, told Fox News Latino. "The fact that our city has one of the largest MLK marches in the country reflects a history of different groups getting along for a greater purpose."
What’s going on in San Antonio is reflective of the deep sentiment Latinos feel for the legacy of Rev. King and the overall Black struggle for equality.
“What this turnout says is that Latinos recognize that many of our civil rights we have today is because of the work and sacrifices of Martin Luther King,” said Cid Wilson, a Wall Street analyst who sits on the board for the National Council of La Raza and is a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the country’s oldest Black civil rights group.
“He understood that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Wilson added.
The Latino link with Rev. King expands beyond San Antonio’s significantly large MLK Day march. Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, will be the first Latino to deliver the keynote address at the King Center’s commemorative service honoring the civil rights icon today in Atlanta.
A prominent Latino evangelist, Rodriguez’s prominent participation also shows that African-American activism today has also expanded to include Latinos – and particularly the push for comprehensive immigration reform.
“Latinos recognize that Martin Luther King Jr. is all of our heroes,” said Wilson. “That fight for
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Victor Garcia on Twitter @MrVicGarcia
Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino
Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino