Hundreds of people gathered in Downtown Kannapolis on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue on Monday to celebrate one of the most prominent Civil Rights leaders.
Marchers carried a banner of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that read “The Dream Lives” to City Hall near downtown. A handful of sorority and fraternity members were part of the parade. Ann McCorvey, with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was one of them and among the first people at the parade.
“We cannot let the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King die,” McCorvey said. "We have to come out and participate and show why it’s still important.”
McCorvey was joined by Chermaine Daniel, another sorority member. Daniel said during times of political tension, it's important for community members to play their role in creating change. "I think it's important that we all show up and start doing what we need to do to bring back peace in our communities,” Daniel said.
Several events took place leading up to the MLK federal holiday honoring one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights leaders. In Concord last week, a wreath-laying ceremony reflected on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and featured a small choir. Over the weekend, Charlotte also hosted its annual parade as part of the federal holiday.
Timothy Morgan, from Salisbury and a fraternity member, was another community member who attended the parade in Kannapolis. Morgan smiled as he reflected on the occasion and the parade with hundreds in attendance.
“It is heartwarming to see a lot of people come out to celebrate the cause,” Morgan said.
Kim Sexton-Lewter helped organize the parade and the wreath ceremony, both of which carried the theme “Keep On Moving.”
“We just want to remind everyone that progress is not always swift, and it’s not always effortless,” Sexton-Lewter said. “We have to keep going, we have to keep moving as Dr. King spoke.”
The MLK parade wrapped up with a health fair and community members dancing to celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most prominent civil rights leaders.
