RACINE – Diane Valencia and Maria Maldonado Retana of Racine will be among thousands of people expected this Saturday (June 18) at the Poor People’s Campaign Moral March to Washington, DC.
Valencia is a long-time local community activist. Maldonado Retana, now a legal US resident, will represent immigrants who have to depend upon the goodwill of friends and neighbors while undocumented, poor and homeless. The two women will be joined at the Moral March in Washington by about 50 essential workers from the Milwaukee and Chicago area.
The Moral March to Washington, DC
The purpose of Saturday’s march is “to draw attention to the crisis of 140 million people in the nation living in poverty or one emergency away from economic disaster, according to a news release from the Poor People’s Campaign. “This campaign is calling for a Moral Revival to challenge racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the distorted narrative of religious nationalism.”
A send-off and blessing of the local travelers is planned for 5 p.m. Friday at the Wisconsin DOT Park-and-Ride lot located just west of the Racine County Ives Grove office complex, 14200 Washington Ave. (Highway 20).
Pastor Tonya Evans of the Greater Mount Eagle Baptist Church will deliver the blessing. Valencia will be among the speakers. The final blessing will be conducted by Reverend Danielle Lindstrom of the Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church.
To learn more about the Poor People’s Campaign, visit: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/.
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