Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Published by Editor on January 20, 2015.
Published under Jefferson County
Tags: front

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Dandridge, TN
Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

A diverse crowd gathered on the steps of the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse on Monday morning to celebrate the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parading from the dike in Dandridge, marchers were led by the Jefferson County High School ROTC. Beyond the keynote address, Jefferson County High School students provided music for the annual event. King, who was born in Georgia on January 15, 1929, is considered one of the most pivotal individuals in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1963, Dr. King gave the now famous I have a Dream speech during the March on Washington. That speech became the talking point of the civil rights movement and one of the most recognized orations in the history of the United States, cementing King’s legacy. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39. Though independent celebrations were hosted in his honor, in 1986 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day became a Federal Holiday.