NEWS Staff Report
The Seventh Annual Día de los Muertos Caminata and Rally is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, from 9 to 11 a.m.
The starting point is at Heavin Park, 705 N. Bowie Street, San Benito, and ends at the La Matanza of 1915 Historical Marker, Exit 16, Hwy. 77 at the rest area on Frontage Road, heading toward Brownsville.
La Caminata, or silent march, commemorates La Matanza and honors individuals of Mexican heritage who were victims of mass lynchings and killings in this area from the late 1800s through the 1930s.
The 3.5-mile walk concludes at the historical marker at the rest area off Hwy. 83 near San Benito, headed toward Brownsville.
Many of those murders, initially justified by labeling the victims as bandits, criminals, and ne’er-do-wells, were carried out by posse members, Rangers, and other groups posing as law enforcement at the behest of officials and rival landowners to seize the victims’ wealth, businesses, and especially property.
Ricardo Madrigal and his wife, Janie Algeria, have worked for several years to bring the annual event to the community.
According to Madrigal, the walk began in 2020 when he, Algeria, and a few of their close friends wanted to “get outside” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over time, they gathered more people to support their cause. The couple knew about the historical marker and its significance, so they chose it as the endpoint.
In a past interview, Madrigal said the walk occurred during because the holiday honors those who have passed.
“We celebrate their lives because it is an important part of the Rio Grande Valley’s history that most people don’t know about,” said Madrigal.
He emphasized the importance of public knowledge of critical historical events, noting that he was never taught about these issues in school.
“We never knew the history of San Benito. It was a killing field for law enforcement,” said Madrigal.
Prior years featured talks by members of the Refusing to Forget Project, including renowned Valley historian and educator Juan Carmona. The Refusing to Forget Project documents the massacres.
State leaders have also delivered a resolution at the end of the event.
In the aftermath of the murders, Texas State Representative Jose Tomas Canales launched an investigation into the Texas Rangers, who were eventually charged with 19 counts of misconduct.
In 2017, a marker was erected near San Benito to commemorate those who died.
Refusingtoforget.org lists the known names of the victims, but some have been lost to time. The marker in San Benito is one of four in Texas.
The Refusing to Forget Project is an award-winning educational nonprofit researching, educating, and documenting racial violence on the Mexico-Texas border.
It produced the exhibit “Life and Death on the Border 1910-1920” in partnership with the Bullock Texas State History Museum and secured approval for the historical marker from the Texas State Historical Commission.
Registration and more information about the walk are available at www.sanbenitomatanzacaminata.com.
Participation is free. Those interested in the event’s history can learn more at refusingtoforget.org. and sanbenitomatanzacaminata.com. Madrigal can be reached at ricmadrigal52@gmail.com.