The annual parade and peace walk honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held at Anacostia Art Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE, Washington, D.C. 20020 on January 21.
Councilmember Trayon White will kick start the peace walk. Those planning to participate have been asked to gather for the walk at 10:30 a.m., next to the Black Workers Wellness Center on Good Hope Road SE. The peace walk is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Parade reinforces the need to continue King’s work as reflected in his words: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
The D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade was conceived in1977 by the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, the founder of The Washington Informer and co-founder of the United Black Fund, his wife, the late Ward 8 Councilmember Wilhelmina J. Rolark, Esq., and the late Ralph “Petey” Greene, a community activist and radio personality.
#mlkholidaydc #frommanyonebelovedcommunity https://t.co/AxHkiuqAaw pic.twitter.com/uqQ1tUnM1m
— MLK Holiday DC (@mlkholidaydc115) January 21, 2019
D.C. was one of the first places in America to start a parade in the honor of Dr. King following his death on April 4, 1968. “It helped in the effort to establish a national holiday in Dr. King’s honor and today it reinforces the work being done by government agencies, community non-profit organizations and private citizens to promote peace and non-violence locally and around the world,” notes the event brief.
All D.C. residents, and those from surrounding areas, are welcome to take part in the annual Peace Walk and Parade. First 50 participants who will assemble at the Anacostia Art Center and walk with Councilmember White will receive free t-shirts.