OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and despite the pandemic, Oakland continued its longest-running celebration of the civil rights leader's life.
The 29th annual "Keeping the Dream Alive" multicultural rally was held virtually. Representative Barbara Lee, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown were among the speakers.
This year, the pandemic has forced the cancellation of many in-person events in the Bay Area like the annual MLK Celebration Train from San Jose to San Francisco and March to Yerba Buena Gardens.
Instead, the Norcal MLK Foundation is pivoting to a virtual celebration with a Health and Wellness and Music Festival. The events will reflect on a year following the police killings of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, and Black Lives Matter protests.