MLK parade canceled in Texas after protest over Gov. Greg Abbot
ARLINGTON, Texas -- A Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in North Texas has been canceled just days after groups threatened to boycott the event because Gov. Greg Abbott was chosen as honorary grand marshal. CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported Abbott's slated appearance sparked community activists to join in on social media campaigns, calling for Abbott to opt out of the grand marshal role.
"The parade is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and reflect on the triumphs, tragedies and lessons of the past. It's a shame that some are politicizing what should be a unifying event," the governor's office said in a statement last week.
Arlington city officials said they denied a parade permit because organizers fell short on funding for security and traffic management, not because of the potential protests and boycotts. Event spokeswoman Winsor Barbee told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that organizers were short by about $60,000 because several sponsors pulled their funding over the boycott threats.
Local NAACP officials said they support canceling the parade because Abbott's participation would have forced them to protest an event meant to honor King. They contend that Abbott's record of supporting a state voter ID law, threatening to withhold funding from sanctuary cities and support for legislative redistricting is antithetical to the legacy of the civil rights leader.
The Arlington NAACP issued a written statement that reads in part: "It is fair to say that Greg Abbott has done more to damage and undermine African-American and Latino civil and voter rights than any other modern day Texas governor. The selection is an insult to the honor of Martin Luther King Jr."
Abbott's office called the potential protest a politicization of an event meant to unify Texans. Abbott later tweeted that he had committed his life to ensuring justice and he represents all Texans.