Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages of nonviolence and equality still provide a critical lens through which we can look at the world today.
King’s words and vision will echo through Houstonians gathering at the MLK Unity Parade on Jan. 19 in Downtown at Smith and Lamar Streets.
More than 300 units, including marching bands, community organizations, and floats will pay tribute to King’s legacy. Mayor John Whitmire will serve as one of three grand marshals along with Charles Stamps of the MLK Grande Parade and Radio Personality Madd Hatta.
Metro will offer free local bus and rail rides to and from downtown for the parade from 7 am. to 7 p.m.
City leaders weigh in
MLK’s legacy still inspires Houston’s city leaders. Willie Davis, city council member for at-large position 2, considers King an idol. Davis remembers the day in middle school when he heard of his assassination in 1968.
The Civil Rights movement leader shaped Davis’ vision of life since then.
“Many people have forgotten the whole vision of what Dr. King was trying to do,” he said. “We have to resurrect his vision. Sometimes, great leaders like Dr. King, the efforts are not carried on because we tend to push it under the rug or we tend to forget it, but it’s the responsibility of the rest of us who were there, who experienced it.”
Activists and scholars echo King’s philosophy of nonviolence, a tool for social transformation and peaceful resistance as a means of countering divisiveness. To Davis, these beliefs benefit people from all rungs of life.
“His legacy plays a part in everything we do in America. It’s the American story, not just a Black America story, in my opinion,” Davis said. “I think that it is very important that we start to realign and reinstitute what he stood for. So no matter what your culture is, it applies to everybody.”
American philosopher Dr. Cornel West stresses King’s idea of justice that goes beyond punitive measures. West says it is urgent to address structural inequalities, particularly within marginalized communities. Houston’s residents agree.
“Dr. King taught that love is the greatest force on earth. You overcome bigotry, racism, segregationism, and sexism through love,” said Houstonian Freddie Oliver, who is also a part of the MLK Association of Texas. “When he [King] became political, that’s when he became a threat to the power state.”
Community organizations also play a vital role in translating King’s vision into action, as MLK Day of Service is a federal holiday that is observed as a National Day of Service. YMCA of Greater Houston is taking this initiative further by organizing service events throughout the city on Jan. 20 to honor King.
These include creating essential packages, working with the Houston Food Bank, revitalizing community gardens, serving dinner to communities, providing food and supply drives, providing services for seniors, and buying groceries with Second Servings and Jack and Jill, among others.In many ways, King’s call for equality pulsates through Houston today amidst a polarized climate. However, his message can be co-opted. As scholar, Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. said, “We have to grapple with the late King…who looked at the ugliness of America squarely in the face and struggled to invoke a vision of how we might, could, be otherwise.”
