“May We Gather” to commemorate Asian American ancestors with ceremony, peace walk on March 16

The event marks the three-year memorial of the 2021 Atlanta-area spa shootings, which claimed the lives of eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent.

Martine Panzica5 March 2024
May We Gather illustration by Rob Sato.

May We Gather, a collective formed in response to instances of anti-Asian violence in 2020 and 2021, will commemorate the three-year memorial of the 2021 Atlanta area spa shootings with a pilgrimage and peace walk in Antioch, California on March 16.

The memorial event aims to “recover and celebrate Asian American Buddhist history in Antioch, in California, and across the United States” and “strengthen the ties of kinship that connect each of us across time, place, race, religion, and gender.” The ceremony follows other May We Gather memorial events, including a 49-day ceremony in May 2021.

A 90-minute ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. the El Campanil Theater in Antioch, California, followed by a half-mile peace walk in the surrounding area and community reception at the Antioch Senior Center. The event will also include reflections from six women Buddhist leaders and a Daoist memorial ritual. The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube.

Lion’s Roar will be in attendance at the event. Follow our Instagram @lionsroarbuddhism for live updates from the ceremony and peace walk.

Martine Panzica

Martine Panzica

Martine Panzica is a Digital Editorial Assistant at Lion’s Roar. She is passionate about the power of storytelling in media, and sustainable development. To learn more about her, visit martinepanzica.com.