As parade goers grab coffee and set up their folding chairs downtown, King’s “I Have a Dream” speech booms throughout the streets of Savannah from William Lipsey’s speaker.
"You'll see all of the floats and they have all of the pretty cars, and the flashy lights," Lipsey said. "But you rarely hear his voice, and in his life, his voice and his convictions are what changed our nation, so I want his voice to be heard."
Residents of Savannah and neighboring cities lined the streets to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's 95th birthday in Savannah's 44th annual parade. The theme of this year's parade was peace, liberty and justice, according to MLK Observance Day Associations' website.
"Honestly, when I hear those words, I think of what African Americans have been fighting for this whole time," said Makiyah James, who lives in Hinesville now but grew up attending the parade with her family. "Even if it wasn't his day today, I would still think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and all the known and unknown heroes who fought for our rights and equality in this world."
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Nearly 300 businesses, churches, schools and organizations participated in the parade, including the bands of cross-town rivals Savannah High School and A.E. Beach High School, who performed for the crowd together. Officials for nearby cities Port Wentworth and Garden City were present, as well as some Savannah City Council members.
One of the participants of the parade was a group supporting a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, calling for peace.
“I don’t know if anybody realizes this, but this day is concentrated in peace, I believe,” Lipsey said. “Peace was King’s greatest desire, and I think it should be all of ours. This whole day has a feeling that I think that only God can give and it’s a special day.”
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Lucille Tyson Brown grew up about 70 miles from Savannah before moving to the area and said she has not missed the parade since it started. She remembers when the parade was just the first event of the day, before everyone headed to the Civic Center to continue the celebrations.
"It's a family thing for us," Brown said of the parade, which lasted about three hours. "We raised our children to go to the parades, now they go to the parades in the cities they live in. Everybody would make it a point of gathering that day for the great work he's done that has paved the way for so many things that we wouldn't have today."
Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for Chatham County municipalities for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Hundreds gather to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in 44th annual parade
MEET OUR PARTNER
Today’s story comes from our partner, Savannah Morning News. Savannah Morning News provides daily news coverage on Coastal Georgia. Visit them at savannahnow.com or on Twitter @SavannahNow.
If you have any feedback or questions about our partnerships, you can contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams via email at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
