A crowd gathered at Salt Lake Community College’s West Valley Center on Friday to remember the Dignity March, a historic demonstration that took place in Salt Lake City in 2006.
That march sought to bring attention to immigration rights in Utah, and it’s claimed to be the biggest march in state history. Friday’s event presented to the SLCC community a look at a portion of a photojournalism exhibit titled “Invisible No More,” which is comprised of photos taken during the historic march.
The SLCC Dream Center unveiled the exhibit as part of their monthlong series of events spotlighting undocumented, asylum-seeking and mixed-status individuals in Utah.
Professor Armando Solórzano, who made the exhibit, and his former student, Xris Macias, appeared at the event to speak about the Dignity March and the significance it holds in Utah history and for the state’s undocumented community.
“This is an opportunity to come and help us keep our history alive,” said Solórzano, who also took time to recount moments of the march, the monumental effort that made it happen, and the people who participated in it.
Many who attended the event described it as a heartfelt occasion. Some families participated in the 2006 march and got to relive what is now considered a pivotal moment in immigration reform history. Certain attendees were only children at the march and have since grown to become immigration lawyers, educators and city officials.
“I used to protest on these steps, and now here I am inside,” said Macias, referencing the Salt Lake City-County Building, where he now works as language access coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Inclusion. “I think the steps that we took that day [are still having] positive effects.”
One impact from the Dignity March that Macias mentioned was a recognition of a need for more resources for undocumented and asylum-seeking individuals and families in Utah. Resource hubs like the SLCC Dream Center have been formed since 2006, as have other centers within the city government, such as Salt Lake City’s recently established Office for Refugees and New Americans.
“It is important to understand that this is history; this [exhibit] is one way to preserve our history, education on information,” said Macias.
Macias said one thing he hopes viewers take away after viewing the exhibit is an understanding of the possibilities that arise when communities stand united. He added that the march was impactful because so many community members gathered despite fears of what could happen to them if they attended.
The event ended with the unveiling of a new mural for the West Valley Center, which Beto Conejo, an SLCC alumni and muralist, was responsible for. Conejo said the mural represents the people of West Valley City and the trials and successes contained in his story and that of other immigrants.
