Soon after the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous I Have a Dream speech in August 2023, Beatriz “Bea” Palmer is honored to be the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award Recipient in Oceanside. Bea received the recognition on January 17, at the annual meeting of the NSDC NAACP Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast and Annual Service Award Event.
The award is given to a resident who “exemplifies the ideals and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who worked to advance civil rights, equal education, labor, and voter rights and who fought racial inequality through non-violence and civil disobedience,” according to the Oceanside website.
“It is an honor to be the first Black Indigenous Latina to receive this award,” she told North County Informador.

She is proud to say that on the 600h anniversary of the I Have a Dream Speech, she, the daughter of Indigenous-Black immigrant farm workers who didn’t know how to read or write, is fulfilling her ancestors’ dream.
“My parents came to this country with a dream when I was 2 years old…And we were very poor, but my parents always instilled a sense of community service,” Bea said.
As the Service Learning Coordinator at MiraCosta College, Bea helps students and the community every day. She has also been a volunteer with Operation HOPE-North County for 17 years and is now the President of the Board, and has worked with other programs, many of which she helped launch.
As we approach Black History Month in February, Bea reminds us that Latinos come with many faces—including afro indigenous roots. She says she hopes little girls that look like she does will be inspired to continue to fight for their dreams and for equal representation.
In her acceptance speech, Bea thanked the NSDC NAACP “for their continuous support and commitment to fostering an inclusive community, holding our social institutions accountable when change is needed.”