A festival of the oppressed. That is the phrase that came to mind as I walked with one million people on March 25th. On that day, Mexicana/o and Latina/o working class immigrants, their families, and their supporters took over the streets of downtown Los Angeles, the second largest city in the country, a city whose Spanish name proclaims its Mexican roots. As I marched down Hill Street with my sons Ramon and Maceo, I realized that this was history. Five city streets were packed, from curb-to-curb and as far as the eye could see with people, signs, flags, and banners. Music seemed to be a part of every contingent, and dazzling troupes of Azteca Danzantes carried the sacred fire and whirled the sacred dances for the entire five miles of the march. A blind man marched with us, as well as people in wheelchairs, old and young, men and women, all marching and shouting together in a festival of freedom.

For one brief and glorious moment, the streets belonged to us -- not to the craven developers and rich Euro-Americans who are gentrifying the poor and homeless out of all affordable living space, nor to the crass politicians who pretend that providing drivers licenses to immigrants threatens our national security, not even to the shit-mouthed talk radio dummies with their gutless refrain about controlling "our" borders and protecting "our" culture. On this one day, for the entire day -- the streets belong to domestic workers, garment workers, busboys, janitors, day laborers, and farm workers -- people with dark skins and a Spanish language.

Good Evening. I bring you greetings from the Black Workers for Justice and the growing number of African Americans who understand your struggle and unite with your fight for justice. Thank you for allowing us to a part of this historic event.

We want to say clearly and without hesitation that we oppose the "Senseless-Brenner Bill" and all legislation that criminalizes immigrant workers without documents. We say down with any bill that makes criminals out of workers, their families and their allies.

In our peoples history here in this country we were criminalized if we escaped from Slavery. Anyone, like the Abolitionists and people along the Underground Railroad who helped us, were considered criminals.