EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- The Lane County Chapter of the NAACP is turning to a group of celebrities this year to help create what they hope is an unforgettable tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Organizers will welcome actors Danny Glover and Quiton Aaron from the movie 'The Blind Side' along with R & B singer Ray J and others to Eugene for this year’s MLK Jr. Day march.
The march will go from Autzen Stadium to the Shedd Institute in downtown Eugene, where guests will take part in speaking and performances free of charge.
"We want to show how . . . what he (Martin Luther King, Jr.) did, [how] it pushed all the way across everything. And it just didn't go for one cultural background or one type of people. It affected everybody,” says Rachel Parra, organizer of the MLK Jr. Day march and vice president of the Lane County chapter of the NAACP.
Organizers say normally it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to get appearances from such celebrities. However, all of the talent involved donated their efforts this year after making connections with a local musician, Lele Parra.
Parra has performed at several events locally, including the recent U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials last summer. Currently, she is signed to Trevino Music, an independent record label distributed through Universal Records.
Other musicians who will take part in the march include Sahyba, a singer with Knockout Entertainment and Jeremy Rosado, a recent participant on American Idol. Prince Saheb, a record producer from Los Angeles will also appear at the event.
The event is free. The march starts at Autzen Stadium at 11 AM on January 21. Organizers say in order to access the Shedd Institute venue, you will have to participate in the march.
