“Some of the issues that were of concern during Martin Luther King’s life are still of concern and still warrant attention”, said Stephanie Bachman, walking in the march.
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When the reflections ended, Steubenville police and firefighters, as-well-as members of the Big Red drum line lead the ceremonial march down Market and 4th Streets to the High School in historic downtown.
“Dr. King is the reason why we have so many of our liberties and rights that we have today”, said Carlene Augustine, a participant in the days’ activities.
“When Bishop Hines founded our school, he was trying to carry on the message Dr. King’s carrying on”, Harper said.
“I miss him. I always wanted to meet him when I was a little boy”, eight-year-old Jose Shepperd, said. “I actually met Dr. Martin Luther King in the sixties when he was marching through the Savannah Area”, Emerson remembered.
Coinciding with the King holiday, African-American director Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith said they would boycott next month’s Academy Awards ceremony because black actors had been shut out of the Oscar nominations for a second year in a row.
An overflow crowd at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta came out to pay homage to King’s legacy at an annual commemorative service under the theme: “Remember! We can not forget this date…no matter where we are, what we’re doing”, said Harriet Mars Gray. It’s a program that cultivates young people’s writing skills and encourages them to become entrepreneurs.
Once they arrived at TSU, a convocation honoring Dr. King and his ideals got underway.
Courtney Cole: “Why is it important that we celebrate Martin Luther King?”
“You had to respect your mother, your father, and even other people mother and father, but we’ve gone away from that now”, Rountree said.
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Meanwhile in Arkansas, the governor is hoping it will be the previous year the state celebrates King on the same day as Civil War Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee.
