BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Young Ralph Anthony was not even 20 years old yet when he marched down Chester Avenue, towards California, all while racial slurs and bottles were hurled towards him.
He was following Martin Luther King Jr.
“Fearful, we didn’t know whether bottles or bricks would hit us," Anthony said. “We knew that this was a good step to get people in our country involved in truth, living.”
The date was February 25, 1960. The civil rights leader had arrived in Bakersfield to speak at the Harvey Auditorium at Bakersfield High School. Before he spoke, though, he lead a group residents on a peaceful march from Lowell Park.
“We kept our eyes on the items or the people," Anthony said. "We would look straight and move forward, hope not to fall.”
Anthony said after all this time it’s hard to remember everything from that day but one thing has stuck with him, the people that kept moving forward through.
“It was old, middle age, young, black white hispanic, a lot of different people," he said.
When they arrived to the theater, Anthony said he could barely find room to stand in the back of the packed auditorium.
While he followed Dr. King that day, Anthony was plagued with thoughts of the future school a career. Little did he know how much that experience was preparing him for what was to come.
“I’ve been in more than just that situation, life threatening situations," he said. "That was just the beginning and it prepared me for other things and the lord has blessed me to be here all these years, so I must’ve found favor with him.”
