South Florida parades, unity marches, festivals mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day
MIAMI -On Monday, January 15th, South Florida will honor the memory of the great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with celebrations, community outreach, and continued advocacy for justice.
In Miami, a parade will kick off at 11 a.m. on NW 54th Street featuring high school marching bands, dance teams, and floats. Following the parade, there will be a family-friendly festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
In Fort Lauderdale, local leaders honored Dr. King with a parade and celebration. The parade began on the corner of NW 5th Avenue and Historic Sistrunk Boulevard. It then headed west on Sistrunk to NW 15th Avenue and then north to Joseph C. Carter Park where there was a multicultural festival.
Some at the festival said it was important to them that younger generations understood the work that was done before them to make our country a better place. Especially by icons like Dr. King.
The 5000 Role Models of Excellence held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast which celebrates college presidents, district administrators, physicians, lawyers, and lawmakers, among other stellar stakeholders, who began as mentors at nine years old and graduated the program. It was headlined by national spokesman and actor Omari Hardwick.
More than 300 volunteers joined the City of Miami for a day of service at the RR Moton Elementary School. Service projects included painting educational murals and re-invigorating outdoor spaces.
It's been more than 50 years since Dr. King was assassinated but his dream lives on.