Autzen Stadium in Eugene attracts a crowd for rescheduled Martin Luther King Jr. Day march

Lane County residents gathered outside Autzen Stadium Monday morning to march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrate Black History Month.

Crowds began to gather at 9 a.m. near the gates of Autzen Stadium, where residents could socialize with one another and learn about the MLK March, which was initially scheduled for Jan. 15 but had to be canceled due to January's ice storm.

At around 9:30 a.m., an introductory speech was given by Demond Hawkins, the Eugene-Springfield NAACP president.

A land acknowledgment for the Kalapuya Ilihi tribe native to the Eugene-Springfield area was presented by Avery S. Old Coyote, a member of the Apsaalooke People of the Crow Nation in Montana

"We had to reschedule the MLK March from January 15th because of the ice storm," said Hawkins, who organized the march. "It is to celebrate the Civil Rights Movement and the march that they did. So it's in memorial of that and to make sure we never forget that people did this in a peaceful way to push for justice and equality and that it came from all walks of life. We don't want to forget what happens when people come together."

Marchers took to the sidewalks on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard shortly after the speech ended and proceeded to Alton Baker Park where organizers set up memorial cards at Nobel Peace Park, a one-acre plot of land dedicated to American Nobel Peace Prize winners, for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., former President Barack Obama and Ralph Bunche.

"I love marching. I think it's a wonderful way to come together as a community," Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis said. "Black History Month is a way in which we honor resilience. We honor the capacity to overcome adversity, to overcome racism, to overcome barriers in our community. So the fact they had to overcome the weather and find an alternative date, you know, it just fits with Black history."

Mayor Vinis attended the march along with former Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and mayoral candidate Kaarin Knudson. Lane County Commissioner Pat Farr was also at the march, along with the University of Oregon women's volleyball team and others.

"It's a good opportunity to reflect on the values of what Martin Luther King fought for," said Da'mon Merkerson, senior associate athletic director at the University of Oregon. "It feels good to see community, black or white, come together and still commit to those values. This day is a reminder that activism is needed. There's routes and ways to go about it but I think he serves as a great reminder of how to fight against injustice."

The march concluded at The Shedd Institute near High and Broadway streets in downtown Eugene. Organizations such as Black Cultural Initiative, Food for Lane County and others greeted the marchers. A presentation was given by Pastor Deleesa Meashintubby about women in the civil rights movement.

The MLK Team Community Service Award was awarded to 17-year-old Jeyla Luvert.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Rescheduled Martin Luther King Jr. Day march held in Eugene