On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Marlborough participated in Loyola’s annual Peace March in Pico Union in hopes of building a service-based coalition with neighboring schools while honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Marlborough students began the march at Loyola High School and concluded near Pico Union Library, where they enjoyed festivities, games and performances from poets and activists alongside students from all across Los Angeles.
“The event was an amazing experience. I definitely feel like it was a very impactful way to spend Martin Luther King Junior Day,” Harper ‘27 said. “I got to spend time with my friends and meet new people. I also got to learn a lot of new things about MLK and enjoyed listening to the beautiful speeches.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is nationally recognized as a day of both service and remembrance. The Peace March, which aims to honor these values, is one of the many yearly service events that Loyola’s Department of Equity and Inclusion hosts as a way to engage its student body in community service and civic involvement.
“[The Martin Luther King Jr. Peace March] is a really special event. It’s going to be beautiful,” Dean of Social Justice and Community Partnerships Pamela Wright said before the march. “It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The energy is already there, and Pico Union is such a special neighborhood.”
Prior to COVID-19, Marlborough would participate alongside Loyola in various community service events, but due to the pandemic lockdown, these partnerships have become less frequent. The Marlborough Social Justice Department has strived to rebuild these connections and foster community engagement alongside other schools in Los Angeles.
“When it comes to community service, there really is strength in numbers, so we hope we can start to partner with other schools in this way,” Wright said. “I hope to bring it back. It’s a direction we were going before COVID, and I’m happy to see it come back.”
Apart from the Loyola Martin Luther King Jr. Peace March, Marlborough hopes to collaborate with other schools in the future on more community service projects and events. Wright’s goal is for Marlborough students to be active participants in their communities alongside students from different parts of Los Angeles.
“I would love to bring back partnerships with other schools,” Wright said. “It’s so meaningful and social and fun.”
