Contra Costa College is set to hold a rally and vehicle caravan on Saturday “to highlight injustices experienced by people of color, and celebrate the contributions of Latinx, indigenous, Black, and other communities of color,” the college announced.
The event, which also recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), will begin at noon with students, employees and community members gathering at Richmond Civic Center.
A vehicle caravan will then proceed to the school’s campus at 2600 Mission Bell Drive in San Pablo, where a demonstration and rally is expected to start at 1:45 p.m. Speakers at the rally will include County Supervisor John Goia, college president Damon A. Bell, Contra Costa Community College Board Trustee John Marquez and event organizer Dr. Mayra Padilla.
The protest, according to a statement by college officials, will acknowledge “the injustices and exploitation of people of color in the U.S. for over 400 years including the detention of an unprecedented 69,550 migrant children in 2019; the murder of 1329 Black and 930 Latinx people by police since 2015; the historical under-representation of Black and Brown students in higher education, and the overwhelmingly high percentage of Black and Brown people incarcerated in our prison system.”
Participants have been asked to wear face coverings, adhere to social distancing standards and to bring signs and decorate their cars for the event.
