King Day Observed with No Confederate Flag Flying

People of all ages and all walks of life had something to say about how the late civil rights leader affected their lives.

“Be thankful and be humble and treat everybody as one we are all equal nobody is better than anybody else”, Foster said.

Event-goers all agreed one way to cut down on the violence in our neighborhoods is to keep the community coming together the way they did for this multicultural celebration.

Mae Parker-Harris, a co-organizer for the annual march, noted they have been conducting the marches for some two decades with a specific goal and objective.

“We need to come together as people”, said Wendy-Lea Walker.

The National Civil Rights Museum prepared for thousands to tour the museum and participate in several activities on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Marcelli said she hopes they understand the significance of the day.

“I want people to be involved with what King was about and his vision 365 days a year”.

“He has a dream”, Alyssa King said.

Castro said the work continues and the statistics are “unacceptable”.

And in a city that’s still healing after being torn apart in riots past year, King’s teachings are a reminder of how to push forward. And, this year, she brought along her granddaughter, Adrieanna Bowdry, to learn even more about their family’s connection to King.

“We have to make sure that we’re all nice to each other, don’t really check each other due to their color anymore”, said 10-year-old girl scout, Rahyna Nyers.

“I think following Zaevion’s death and the violence we’ve seen of innocent lives taken. We are all part of the same group of people in this country and we have to get along”.

“I am disturbed about the amount of violence that happens in Roanoke, in Virginia and all over the United States”, said Rev. Amy Ziglar, Mount Zion A.M.E Church.