Judge Ladoris Cordell urges Hayward audience to reject indifference and defend voting rights

Hayward — At the City of Hayward’s 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration, former Superior Court Judge Ladoris Hazard Cordell delivered a keynote urging residents to reject indifference and take sustained civic action to protect civil rights.

Cordell used historical and legal examples to make her case, citing Marion Tursky and civil-rights figures from Charles Hamilton Houston to John Lewis. She traced a line from Reconstruction-era constitutional amendments to contemporary legal battles, warning that recent court trends could weaken voting safeguards. “Do not be indifferent,” Cordell told the audience, repeatedly returning to the phrase as a refrain for activism.

The keynote followed opening remarks from Mayor Mark Salinas, who welcomed attendees on behalf of Hayward City and reviewed the city’s civil-rights efforts, including the “No Room for Racism” campaign. Salinas also introduced a slate of local officials and partners attending the event, and framed the program as a renewal of longstanding civic commitments.

The evening included awards presented by Freddie Davis, co-chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Committee and president of the Hayward South Alameda County NAACP. The committee honored the First Baptist Church of Russell City for its historic community service and presented awards to Pastor Ellis Jones and Reverend John Edward Cunningham Jr., who accepted and urged continued cooperation across congregations and neighborhoods.

Chin Wu Fernandez, superintendent of Hayward Unified School District, welcomed the crowd and highlighted student performers from the district’s arts programs; the combined school choirs and a student ensemble performed during the program.

Cordell offered a mix of legal history and personal stories. She described a habeas-corpus case that secured the release of a woman named Kelly Turner after 14 years of incarceration and used that example to illustrate how litigation and public advocacy can produce tangible results. She also expressed concern about the direction of recent Supreme Court decisions and said the Voting Rights Act remains vulnerable without active civic engagement.

Organizers urged voluntary donations to sustain the annual program and noted that Judge Cordell would autograph copies of her book after the event. The ceremony concluded with a benediction from Pastor Anthony Woods and a community rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.”

The event combined ceremonial music, historical reflection and a pointed call to civic participation from a speaker who balanced legal critique with personal anecdotes about activism’s effects.