Everyone loves a parade. Participating in a parade for Martin Luther King Jr. Day is even more fitting to celebrate his message of inclusion.
“Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In his last sermon before being assassinated in 1968, civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of the “drum major instinct” that may cause people to lead for the sake of recognition. He encouraged the congregation to achieve greatness through service and love instead.
King’s legacy now serves as the inspiration for parades across the United States. These parades don’t just honor his work for the African-American Civil Rights Movement but celebrate his status as a worldwide symbol of nonviolence, peace, diversity, and acceptance. These off-season events allow marching bands of all kinds to perform for fun and focus on service, camaraderie, and community.
MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATIONS
The march from Selma to Montgomery or the March on Washington where King made his “I Have a Dream” speech are some of the most iconic moments of his legacy—and years later his birthday is celebrated with more joyous marching in parades large and small.
“Dr. King’s legacy is honored and celebrated in many ways, but in my opinion a parade is the perfect form to literally bring people together in harmony to celebrate his legacy and what it meant to them in their own way,” says Charles Stamps, founder of the MLK Grande Parade in Houston, Texas.
While some MLK Day parades started out as primarily cultural celebrations of the African-American community, many have grown to include everyone in a multicultural celebration of this American icon.
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