20 Jan Antioch Volunteers Repaint Skate Park for MLK Day of Service

Volunteers worked to clean and beautify the skatepark on Lone Tree Way in Antioch for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Story and photos by Jasmine Ford

On a chilly, foggy morning Monday, about 40 people from Antioch and the surrounding East County area gathered at the skate park on Lone Tree Way to paint and beautify the space in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The skate park restoration project was one of three Day of Service events held in Antioch.

Mayor Ron Bernal said the event reflected the power of community service to bring people together “and make Antioch better.”

“We’re all a beautiful community, and again, we just want to get out together and make it better, get off our phones, get out of our homes, to see what all this place can be,” he said. “Antioch is a phenomenal city, between the rivers, the hills, the park districts, everything in between. It’s a gem.”

Bernal acknowledged that Antioch often faces criticism but said events like this highlight the city’s strengths. “There’s so much that’s positive,” he said. “Community events bring people together to do something positive.”

Recreational coordinator La’Nae Jackson said she was impressed by the turnout.

“The event was to produce the feeling of ‘I don’t need to travel out to celebrate,’ and it’s been super rewarding,” Jackson said. “It’s been super rewarding to have conversations with people and seeing the change of how people are talking about living in Antioch, and hearing people say, ‘I’m really excited about this’ or ‘see it coming back’ and we’re a large city, like we can do a lot.”

Martin Luther King Jr. was known for his leadership in the civil rights movement and standing up for justice. His goal was to bring about change for African Americans by organizing and participating in civil rights actions such as boycotts, marches and nonviolent resistance.

King’s “I Have a Dream” speech still echoes in the hearts and minds of African Americans today, bringing about hope for the future and motivation to act on injustices in their neighborhoods. In terms of service, King famously said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”

The event shows how Antioch residents are using King’s legacy as a call to action through service and community building. The Antioch Community Center, where the skate park is located, strives to be a collective for all, and encourages the community to participate. Many of its past events have included Dia de los Muertos, Veteran’s Day, and other kid-friendly activities.

“We want to have intentional art on our skate park, for the kids especially,” said Ami’Satu Kamara, an Antioch municipal employee.

Kamara said the city plans to introduce skate lessons at the park and invite local artists to contribute graffiti art, refreshing a space that has not been updated for a while.

“[Today,] we see a lot of participants from our community, and from our classes,” she said. “It’s really great to see them not only in our classes, but also see them participate in the events that we see in the community itself.”

Ronda Herd, an Oakley resident, said she attended after looking for a way to volunteer on the holiday.

“This morning, I woke up and said, ‘I want to find something I can do of service today,’ and didn’t see anything in my actual city,” she said, “but I saw this, and I said, ‘Let me jump in the car and go over and see,’ and so I’m glad I came.”

Some youth groups including Antioch High school’s Key Club and the Girl Scouts of Northern California America also attended. Many of the volunteers said seeing youth participate in the event was both inspiring and motivating.

Photographer Michael Smith, who documents the Antioch community events said, “It’s the Martin Luther King Day of Service. Getting the community involved, essentially, beautifying the community, right? You need to give back and get back in order to make the community better.”

Organizers said Monday’s event was part of a broader effort to foster unity, connection and hope for Antioch’s future. If you are interested in any of Antioch’s next community events, you can find them here.