MLK march slated for next week

Hundreds of people are expected to march and chant Monday during Merced’s 19th annual celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights trailblazer and hero to many.

King was known for his nonviolent message, ability to inspire people as a speaker and spearheading important moments during the civil rights struggle. He was assassinated after speaking on behalf of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968.

The celebration will also pay tribute to Bishop Dwight Amey Sr., one of the originators of the march and chairman of the Merced MLK Committee, which organizes the annual event meant to carry on the work of King, according to organizer Eugene Drummond Sr.

Amey and Napoleon Washington Jr. will be the grand marshals of the march, which kicks off at 11 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in front of Merced’s Amtrak station, 324 W. 24th St. The march will continue south on Martin Luther King Jr. Way to the Merced County Fairgrounds, where a multicultural celebration and program will follow.

Amey has been pastor of New Faith Tabernacle Christian Church of Merced for 35 years, according to a news release. He has conducted church services and marriages across the country and in Germany, Japan and Turkey.

He has served on the Merced City Council, as well as been a member of the Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, Merced Citizen Advisory Redevelopment Agency and city Parks and Recreation Commission, according to the release.

The 6-acre Dwight Amey Neighborhood Park bears his name.

The other grand marshal, Washington, will serve as the master of ceremonies during the program at the fairgrounds, which is scheduled to begin at noon. He is an ordained pastor, according to the release, and has held that role in Merced and Los Banos. He’s owner of Napoleon Washington Jr. Insurance Agency in Merced and has 45 years of experience as a broker.

Washington has served twice as the president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers of Merced, the release stated. He is a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.

Washington has also served two terms as president of the local chapter of the NAACP. As vice president of Feet Changing Lives, he often participates in weekly walks aimed at curbing violence. In years past, he has also coached young people.

The march and the program that follows offer an array of cultural dance and music, which this year include Latino Andalusian horsemen and dancers from Sol del Valle.

This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 8:32 PM with the headline "MLK march slated for next week."