On Jan 16, King hosted the MLK parade to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This celebration included many organizations and dignitaries from the community as well as the King High School family.
“We as a school have to reflect all of the things that Martin Luther King meant to this community, as well as to this world, city, and state," principal Damian Perry said. "I think it's really important that we, as persons that are representing a learning community that bears his name, really have to represent what it is all about, and what he was all about."
Perry said he believes the Crusaders represent King’s name well. What Dr. King stood for doesn’t just start from scratch. It starts first with him leading with love and treating everyone with respect, dignity, and equity. This march gives Crusaders the spirit that Dr. King had to the community.
“Martin Luther King Jr. was about making sure that everyone had the opportunity to be represented and that everyone had the opportunity very specifically to be treated with respect and dignity and equity,” Perry said. “It starts with us as Crusaders to represent that spirit of love and that spirit of compassion. That's why it's important for us to be able to have this march and reflect the spirit, as well as the personality of what he was to our community.”
Band director Lamar Phillips brought out his team who played amazing songs that kept an upbeat sound throughout the march to keep the community spirits up.
“I think any band is important to every parade because it captures the spirit of whatever's going on. As well as brings a sense of liveliness and motion that moves the crowd musically,” Phillips said.
JROTC instructors Sgt. Jamille Phillips and 1st Sgt. John Hamilton helped lead the JROTC battalion into the march with cadences that kept each cadet up.
“We are part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School family, and we want to do our part to represent his namesake,” Phillips said.
As cold as it was outside that day hundreds of people within our community came out to march with the Crusaders. Each organization that came represents what are community is made of.
“In order for us to really be reflective of our community, we have different members within it representing at the state and city level: politicians, sororities, fraternities, families, and students," Perry said. "All these people have come together to represent what Martin Luther King stood for which was the spirit of equity, love, and equality."
