Hundreds Take To St. Paul Streets To Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hundreds gathered Monday outside St. Paul Central High School to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It was an opportunity to be heard and to demand justice for lives taken by law enforcement. With the sound of Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech in the background, people from all walks of life gathered to honor the man, his message and his hopes for our country.
"He changed the world, so I kind of owe it to him, people out here today owe it to him," said Markeanna Tyus.
The crowd, mostly young people, were searching for a way to honor Dr. King's work by being part of a collective voice demanding equality for all.
"I was reading on Vietnam and some of his old speeches, it was like he wrote it yesterday," said Joe Meinholz. "Our country had refused to deal with this, the White supremacy that's at the roots of our country, and he was naming that then, and we are naming it now in the streets."
After speeches and the singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" -- also known as the Black national anthem -- the crowd took to the streets, chanting for justice for people like George Floyd and Brianna Taylor. As they approached Interstate 94 off of Lexington Avenue, the crowd was met with a show of force from law enforcement. When the group realized they could not get on I-94, some danced, while others simply left. Those who remained marched to St. Paul Police's Western District.
"We're seeing videos of people killed right in our own city, and I think being on social media, seeing and connecting with Black people online who are able to share their experiences and like have a platform for it, I think … there's a lot more awareness around it now," said Madison Cho.
Awareness of a division in the country, and an ambition to use Dr. King's legacy as a roadmap to fix what is broken.
"Where do we go from here? I say we just continue the fight just like he did for racial equality," said Britta Brittner.