Photo by: Jacob Rokeach
More than a thousand people braved the below freezing temperatures to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday in the 22nd annual “Marade” in Denver and listen to his nephew Derek King, Sr.
King has followed in his uncle’s footsteps by going to Morehouse College and getting a doctorate in theology.
“I didn’t know that he was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when I was growing up, to me he was Uncle M.L.” said King. “But I came to understand the principles that he shared. Even if I wasn’t his nephew I would have followed them because they were godly and right.”
He said that while the civil rights movement eliminated three giants of repression by desegregating transportation, desegregating public accommodations and giving blacks voting rights. But there are still many wrongs to overcome. He illuminated on five that he considers to be the most important and pressing: poverty, racism, violence, valuing children and ignorance.
“Don’t think that poverty is not big in America,” said King Sr. That while legislatures are trying to balance the budget there are people in Denver and across the nation who do not eat three meals a day.
Racism and its prevalence in our society must be addressed King said.
“Don’t think that Jim Crow is dead. He has just gone hi-tech. He took off his overalls and put on a three-piece suit,” said King. He told the crowd to look at the distribution of wealth.
“We are all the same we just have different paying jobs,” said King.
Violence and its prevention especially among youth, is needed.
“We need to get the guns out of our children’s hands and get schoolbooks into them,” said King.
American needs to value our children like King Jr. did.
“We need to redirect our children on to the right path. They are our future,” said King.
“Not everyone can get a record deal or a NBA contract. We need doctors lawyers, school teachers, engineers and scientists,” King told the crowd.
Lastly, he told the crowd of the need to eradicate ignorance.
King said it is the adult generation’s responsibility to educate children on the past and what still needs to be done.
“Not everyone who has an education, necessarily has common sense,” said King. “Some children don’t have a work ethic, not their fault. They have been given everything.”
In conclusion, he said that his uncle’s dream still needs to be realized.
“One day black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, children and adults will be able join hands and sing not we shall but we did overcome,” said King Sr.
This year’s theme for the marade was “Remember, Celebrate, Act: A day on not a day off.”
The citywide event started at City Park where newly-elected Colorado governor Bill Ritter, Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth and Senator Ken Salazar spoke before the march proceeded.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper welcomed the crowd at the end of the marade “thanks for coming and marching with us.”
“No one in history has reached out like Dr. Martin Luther King. Hear story after story about people whose lives were changed forever,” said Hickenlooper
Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and his wife Wilma also spoke before the march took place. They were instrumental in starting this event in the 1980s.
The marchers went from the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in City Park, went down Colfax Avenue and ended up at Civic Center Park.
Groups marching included the Colorado Starlite Pom-Pom and Drill Team, Denver Marching Knights, Delta Sigma Theta, Americorps and DU’s Queer Straight Alliance.
The march ended at Civil Center Park where State Farm Insurance, the event’s corporate sponsor provided hot chocolate and passed out toe warmers to all the marchers to help ward off the cold.
