Day Three of the Farmworkers March for Justice

Photos by: Matt Rosenberg

We arrived in Oneida this evening exhausted, but in high spirits. The Unitarians at May Memorial saw us off to an 8:00 AM departure this morning, to get started on what would turn out to be our longest day yet. Whereas we had been suffering from sunburn all weekend, today we bundled up for brisk temperatures.

We set a quick pace early on and impressed even ourselves by maintaining it throughout the day. With the city behind us, we were left to amuse ourselves along many miles of highway—most if it upward sloping. While we missed the presence of the many who had accompanied us over the past weekend, we gained a few more supporters along the way.

The First Presbyterian Church in Chittenango welcomed us for lunch and a much needed rest. Through downtown Chittenango, we followed the yellow brick road! No joke—it had been painted yellow in honor of Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz, who was born there in1856.
Like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, we also walk in search of something. We march toward the halls of power in Albany in hopes that our leaders in government may have the brains, heart, and courage to grant farmworkers the equal rights and protections they deserve. But unlike Dorothy and her companions, we know that the power to make change lies in us and that farmworkers are possessed with tremendous dignity, even if they are not treated as such under law.

After walking 23 miles in one day, we arrived at last in Oneida, where we were welcomed at the parsonage of the First United Methodist Church. Over a delicious dinner, someone pointed out that we were only about four miles shy of finishing a marathon. After tending to our aching feet, sore muscles and stiff joints, we settled in for an evening sing-along.

We head out tomorrow on the road to Utica.