Dallas MLK Parade Is One Of Nation's Largest
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Thousands of people gathered in Dallas to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior today, beginning with a parade in Dallas. After three decades, the event at Fair Park has grown to be one of the largest in the nation.
This year's theme is 'Breaking the Chains of Injustice.' The fog lifted and the sun came out, making for a beautiful day for a parade. High school bands, cheerleaders, drill teams, civic groups and community leaders and made their way down the boulevard. This year's grand marshal was Dallas County District Attorney Faith Simmons Johnson -- the first African American woman to hold the office.
This is the 35th year for the official Martin Luther King Day celebration for the City of Dallas. Spectator Velma Robertson said the parade is something special. "The joy of I, the memory of Martin Luther King, bringing the neighborhood together, and keeping the dream alive. The memory of what he did for us."
Some of King's famous words are written on the parade floats that rolled through the streets. Volunteers were putting the finishing touches on everything early Monday morning.
Thousands of spectators lined MLK Boulevard to see high school bands, cheerleaders, civic groups, community leaders and churches participate in the parade.
The parade started at 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of MLK Boulevard and Holmes Street and proceeded east along MLK Boulevard to Fair Park. The celebration continued at Fair Park once the parade was over.
The parade and Fair Park celebration wrapped up several days of MLK celebrations that included a candlelight ceremony and awards banquet.