Citizens March To Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jefferson County citizens march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

Jefferson County citizens march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

Jefferson County residents came together on Monday to celebrate the life and contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. King has long been identified as the driving force behind the civil rights movement of the late 1950s and 1960s. A highly educated man, King is considered a visionary and his speech “I Have a Dream” became synonymous with the movement for racial equality. Dr. King was a Nobel Peace Prize recipient by the young age of thirty five. The Nation was stunned when he was murdered on April 4, 1968 while standing on his hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was preparing to lead a protest march in support of striking city garbage workers. Though King’s birthday is January 15th, in accordance with the Uniform Holiday’s Act it is celebrated on the third Monday in January.

At 11am on Monday, a group gathered and marched from the Dike in Dandridge to the steps of the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse, in remembrance of King and his work. A ceremony followed that included prayer, community address and music and allowed the ethnically diverse group the opportunity to reach beyond the bonds of color and diversity to honor Dr. King and his dream.

Source: K. Depew, News Director