Marchers Honor King as Black Leaders Put Pressure on Santa Ana Officials

As staff and students marched to UC Irvine on Wednesday to mark the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., black religious leaders in Santa Ana pressured city officials to close City Hall on Monday in honor of the slain civil rights leader.

The federal holiday will be celebrated for the first time on Monday, nearly 18 years after King’s assassination. King supporters were urged to remove council members from office if they do not declare a city holiday and to boycott the city’s Feb. 1 black history parade, demonstrate Monday at 9 a.m. on City Hall steps and at 7 p.m. during the council meeting.

Giving workers the day off would cost the city about $260,000, said Mayor Daniel E. Griset, who said he will urge that the holiday be observed in 1987. He deplored accusations of racism against the city, which, he said, is giving $42,395 to the parade and other events during Black History Month.

The two-mile march from William R. Mason Park to the campus included chants and songs calling for racial equality. Student Shawn Ghee, co-organizer of the march and symposium, called on students to remember what King stood for. “We are nowhere near his dream; there’s still a lot of work to be done,” Ghee said. Christine Hall, director of student development at UCI Medical School, urged listeners to take an active role against events such as South African apartheid. About 40 persons took part in the march.