Tens of thousands of people are expected to march in Downtown Dallas on Sunday for immigration reform and racial equality.
But on the eve of the Dallas Mega March, a local leader says he’s reminded of why it’s needed.
Dallas ISD board member Miguel Solis took to social media Saturday evening to share photographs of signs posted at a Dallas school lashing out at undocumented people.
Solis tells NBC 5 the hate-filled messages were found outside of Foster Elementary School.
Meanwhile, the final preparations were underway and included organizers and their children making signs to carry throughout the march.
For Leilani Monjaraz, it’s hard to find the words to help people understand.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” she wrote on a poster board.
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She says her undocumented step-father was deported back to Mexico after a traffic stop.
“I feel like after that is when my family started to fall apart,” said Monjaraz.
The 14-year-old and her family will unite with tens of thousands with one thing in mind: family, unity and empowerment.
Organizers say it’s hard to tell if Sunday’s Mega March will match or exceed the sea of 100,000-plus people at the city’s previous march in 2006.
“It’s hectic and very challenging for someone my age but there is a certain level of grace that I see with all of these people from all walks of life working together,” said Reverend Peter Johnson.
Piece by piece, a stage was assembled outside of Dallas City Hall Plaza.
A rally will be held following the mile-long march that begins at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of Guadalupe.
Several lawmakers are expected to speak, including Congressman Joaquin Castro of San Antonio.
Martin Luther King the Third will take the stage as well.
Security measures have already been taken in the area.
Organizers expect some counter-protesters.
“In the civil rights movement we called them provocateurs but this will be a well-managed and well organized march so we expect them but we will pray for them,” said Johnson.
“Everybody has a right and peacefully again, the word is peacefully,” said organizer Zulikha Hussain.
The march starts at 2 p.m at the Cathedral of Guadalupe at Ross Avenue and Pearl Street. People will march down Ross and southbound on North Griffin to Eastbound Young Street, ending at city hall plaza.
