Father’s Day Weekend March for Peace

Blinky Rodriguez was looking at the demographics of town hall meetings devoted to activism in his community, and was troubled by what he didn’t see: Men.

“Normally, it’s always the mothers,” says Rodriguez, executive director of Communities in Schools for greater Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. So he started thinking about a way of “provoking men to stand up” against gang violence and for education and jobs.

He came up with one: a Father’s Day Weekend March for Peace. Now in its third year, the march will take place on Saturday at David Gonzalez Park in Pacoima from noon-4 p.m.

The mission is personal for Rodriguez, whose 16-year-old son, Sonny, was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1990.

“It’s a lot of work but the need is great,” Rodriguez says. And, in honor of the occasion, refreshments will include carne asada along with homemade rice and beans.

Details are here.