Today we celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who changed the world through nonviolent protests. I often wonder what Dr. King would say about the protests of the past year with cities being burned, stores looted, businesses destroyed, culminating with five people losing their lives at the Capitol, including a New Jersey policeman. We could use Dr. King right now.
I once asked if protests really made a difference. Protesting is your right; it s also your risk. Today with this cancel culture we live in, protesting can cause you to lose your job, force your resignation or even get you killed.
It’s why he said the fight for equality isn’t over. It s why he joined the movement: dancing while others marched.
“Police brutality, racism, it continues. It’s like a never-ending story. A terrible story,” he said. “There is still a lot of work to be done.”
Dallas activist Changa Higgins said MLK Day is a time to reflect on the work that must continue to make King’s dream a reality. He said the time is up for words without action.
“We are in the second wave of the Civil Rights Movement and policing and reimagining public safety is at the forefront of that movement,” Higgins said. “It’s time for us to have conversations nationally about qualified immunity, holding officers accountable, really reforming the criminal justice system.”
People in Charlottesville honor MLK with Mr. Alex-Zanâs annual event
People in Charlottesville honor MLK with Mr. Alex-Zanâs annual event By Riley Wyant | January 18, 2021 at 5:33 PM EST - Updated January 18 at 7:38 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - People across the nation celebrated the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 18, including many in the Charlottesville area.
People of all ages contributed to Mr. Alex-Zanâs virtual MLK day event. Many performers, speakers, and young people took part in the celebration remembering the work of Dr. King.
âWe have so much going on during the program, in particular featuring our young people,â Mr. Alex-Zan said. âWe know in order to continue the legacy, the dream, and the works, we need our young people.â
It’s her first parade in South Florida, but she has been a part of many MLK celebrations before.
“It’s important for us to continue the legacy that Martin Luther King has set forth,” she said.
Dozens of floats and cars traveled through Miramar, with families watching nearby.
The host and city’s vice mayor, Maxwell Chambers, said the celebration showed how a community can come together, despite the division seen in the country today.
“This is to show that we can accomplish things with non-violence,” Chambers said. “What they did to the U.S. Capitol did not have to happen that way, because Dr. King did not champion that.”