The sun shone brightly upon us on February 14, Valentine’s Day, as 34 UCF folks and friends joined the march and gathering of about 2,000 folks at the State Capitol of Raleigh for Bishop William J. Barber’s Mass People’s Assembly Moral March and Mobilization. The focus was ‘love and mobilize forward’ for all the issues that are at risk now, including voting rights, immigrant rights, public education, healthcare, living wages, environmental protection, and more for the working and low-income class.
The march started Thursday in Wilson, N.C., being led by the former head of the North Carolina NAACP, for a 50-mile march to the State Capitol. UCF joined the March Saturday morning in downtown Raleigh where it ended with an assembly and rally. Bishop Barber joined other speakers in highlighting the power of voting ahead of the 2026 primary elections in N.C: He shouted, “It’s time to voice your love, vote your love and stand in the vitality of your love, because we need love to be victorious one more time.”
It was an amazing day full of great speakers, singing and dancing, and ending with a moving video – a gift from Willie Nelson – singing about the Heart of America.