Dancer Teramura Ki performs in front of over 100 people as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together for unity Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach city council member Barbara Delgleize, left, Oliver Chi and his son Ian and city councilman Mike Posey watch and listen to speakers as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together for unity Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Congresswoman Michele Steel representing California’s 48th congressional district speaks as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Sammy and Ellie Edwards and their dad Chris listen to their mother, Alison speak as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Polynesian dancers with Tupua Productions of Santa Ana perform for hundreds of people as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Hundreds of people gather as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together for unity Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Lorena M. Ortega of Huntington Beach speaks about her own personal encounters with racism and micro-aggressions in Huntington Beach as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together for unity Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Hundreds of people gather as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together for unity Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Members of the Native American dance group, Redboy Productions of Orange County, wait to perform as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together for unity Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Dancer Teramura Ki performs in front of over 100 people as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together for unity Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Former Huntington Beach mayors, Shirley Dettloff and Ralph Bauer speak about the racism that has gripped the city recently as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence. Mayors Dettloff and Bauer put together a city proclamation addressing racism back in 1996.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Poet and Huntington Beach high school freshman Layla Hanna says a poem about compassion as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, of the 74th district, speaks as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Hundreds of people gather as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Mariachi’s with the Rhythmo Academy from Anaheim perform as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Libby Frolichman and JoAnn Arvizu with HB Huddle, a women’s rights group, listen to speakers as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr, some city council members and some former mayors stand for unity as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
California state senator Dave Min speaks to hundreds of people as the city of Huntington Beach holds a community get together Sunday, April 18, 2021 with food trucks and games in Central Park. It’s a response to last weekends White Lives Matter Rally at the Huntington Beach pier which concluded with fights, several arrests and a large police presence.
(Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Hundreds of people gathered under the tall trees at Huntington Beach’s Central Park on Sunday, April 18, to show unity against racism and hatred.
It was a day to build community and make an effort to meet and talk to each other after a challenging year, Councilwoman Natalie Moser told the audience. She struck upon the idea of holding the community picnic celebrating diversity when flyers began circulating earlier this month calling for a white nationalist rally at the Huntington Beach Pier.
In keeping with the theme, food trucks offered a variety of treats – from Korean barbecue to Hawaiian shave ice to tacos to hamburgers to Nigerian kebabs. Visitors nibbled their menu choices while poets, musicians, speakers, artists and dancers performed and talked about personal experiences.
Speakers were to include U.S. Congresswoman Michelle Steel, California Sen. Dave Min, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.
The purpose of the festive gathering, Moser said, was “to create new bonds and memories and build a brighter future for Huntington Beach.”
“It is an opportunity to join together and see our common humanity,” she said, “while also celebrating the beauty of our differences.”
