Community comes together to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy in Wilmington
WILMINGTON (WWAY) — On a day that honors the achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hundreds gathered in downtown Wilmington Monday to reflect on his legacy of nonviolent activism for civil rights and his impact on American society.
The beats of joy ring loud and proud during the Southeastern North Carolina Martin Luther King Jr. parade in downtown Wilmington.
The parade was full of friends, neighbors, and local leaders all to celebrate the dream that Dr. King spent his life defending.
“This is what he wanted,” said Tasha Gray Jones.
Tasha Gray Jones attends the parade every year and was one of the hundreds of community members who came out to watch.
She says this event is the epitome of Dr. King’s vision.
“If you look around, you see black, white interacting and having a good time together and supporting each other,” said Jones.
After a year hiatus due to political and logistical challenges, the parade returned, but at a time of great division in the nation due to immigration crackdowns and the ICE shooting in Minneapolis of Renne Good, which has prompted protests and vigils here in Wilmington.
Grand marshal and former WNBA player, Tamera Young, says coming together is imperative now more than ever.
“That’s something that Dr. Martin Luther King always talked about, equality and being together. There’s a lot of division right now, there’s a lot going on, and so it’s big, and it’s imperative for us to, to come together at a time like this,“ said Tamera Young.
Tomeka Sidbury is a member of The Grand Court Order of Calanthe, which is a fraternal benefit society for African American women.
She says the parade runs deeper than simply gathering as a community.
“It’s just a beautiful thing to just be the hands and the feet of what he already had a dream about. So, I think that this is just a beautiful thing to show that the community can still come together, and love is at the heart of it,” said Sidbury.
For groups like the Be-Bop Drill Team, being a part of the parade keeps Dr. King’s dream alive.
“He set the concrete for us, and we continue to do what he started. So, we’re going to do it for all the young people that’s coming behind us, as well as the old ones, telling them we still got it no matter what happens. King set a good example for his people,” said Harry Whitaker Sr. of the Be-Bop Drill Team.
In a statement, organizers said they were glad to have the parade return this year after an unexpected pause last year due to political and logistical challenges.
