Jan. 15—As the crowd began to march over the Twin Cities Memorial Bridge into Marysville for the silver anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March, the crowd was blessed with the founder of the march in 1999.

Lisa Harris landed back in Yuba-Sutter this year from Washington to commemorate what she started 25 years ago.

“I’m glad I can get out of the snow and come to the rain,” Harris said. “It’s been a wonderful journey and the journey continues.”

Harris, an avid marcher for King throughout her life, moved to Yuba-Sutter in 1990. One of the initial things that Harris noticed after getting settled in the area is that there were no area marches honoring the civil rights leader. So with the help of Bethel AME Church in Marysville and other entities, Harris began to work on starting the inaugural King march in Yuba-Sutter.

“It’s important we continue to gather together and love,” said Harris, on why she started the march.

After coming back to see how her brainchild has evolved over the last two-and-a-half decades, Harris is pleased with the “significant change” that has occurred both locally and in other communities.

Harris’ successor in charge of running the march in honor of King each January has been Pastor Marcia Chambers. She and Pastor Darrell Chambers, who help run the Emmanuel Family Worship Center in Yuba City, have worked tirelessly to build up this march since Harris’ departure.

“We are so happy to be able to do this,” Marcia Chambers said prior to her walk over the bridge into Marysville.

Chambers referenced the impact of King on communities throughout the world, including in Yuba-Sutter

“I want to keep the momentum going,” Chambers said.

Darrell Chambers has been all over the world during his life, and said the diversity in Yuba-Sutter is second to none.

“I love the diversity of this city,” Chambers said.

Since purchasing a home in the area, Chambers has noticed a global sampling of children playing, running and getting in trouble together. It was eye-opening, Chambers said, to watch children of all ethnicities play together without a care in the world.

“If we as adults can learn from our children how to get along, it would all be great because the kids don’t know what hate is until someone teaches them that,” Chambers said. “I march because of that.”

The Unity March caretakers were again joined by elected officials, such as Sutter County Supervisor Karm Bains and Yuba County Supervisor Gary Bradford. They marched with other participants to show the power the community can have when it comes together as one.

“It’s a great time for the community to come together, get to know each other,” Bradford said. “That’s what is important to me.”

Bradford is amazed that Yuba-Sutter has continued to bring this march together each year for the last 25 years.

“It says how committed the community is to this cause — and the individuals involved in organizing it,” Bradford said.