People Gather In Liberty City For Annual MLK Parade
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – All across the nation, people are celebrating the life and legacy of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. In South Florida, a parade was held to commemorate the civil rights leader.
Hundreds of people gathered under sunny skies in Liberty City Monday for the annual parade in Dr. King's name.
Many people who attended told CBS4's MaryAnn Martinez MLK's teachings are just as relevant today as they were during the Civil Rights Movement.
"A very powerful man we had back years ago. I'm 60-years-old. I've never seen no one more powerful than him," said Stephanie Lewis, a parade-goer.
CLICK HERE To Watch MaryAnn Martinez's Report
The parade started around 11 a.m. on NW 54 Street and 12th Avenue and continued down 54th Street to 19th Avenue and snaked its way down the City of Miami limits.
SLIDESHOW: Martin Luther King Jr. in Pictures
High school marching bands were part of the parade, so were community leaders and celebrities—like rapper Flo Rida. Also, law enforcement from agencies within the area were part of the crowd.
It was the first time for Tanesha Stewart.
"He honored whites and blacks and he let the whites and blacks talk to each other," said Stewart, a middle school student.
The parade started around 11 a.m. on NW 54 Street and 12th Avenue and continued down 54th Street to 19th Avenue and snaked its way down the City of Miami limits.
One parade-goer, Ybonne Burse, told CBS4's MaryAnn Martinez she feels lucky to be able to attend the parade since Liberty City is no stranger to violence and death.
"Because a lot of them gone, a lot of them passed and everything. A lot killed and so much crime going on in the world," Burse said.
All though there were reminders of old struggles, at the parade, like crime, there were also reminders of new challenges facing the African American community.
Some who walked the parade route held signs that said "black lives matter" and the names of unarmed African American teens whose death have been controversial, like Michael Brown.
Anthony Aranha said those are issues Dr. King would be involved in if he were alive today.
"The relevancy would be the issues that are going on now with police brutality, and there's still a way to go with the civil rights moment," said Aranha.
