Despite a frigid 30-degree Monday morning, citizens came together in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., marching from Davies County High School to Owensboro Community & Technical College’s campus.
Jaklyn-Mahree Frances Hill, Owensboro Human Relations Commission Executive Director, said contingencies weren’t much of an option when the group was planning the event, even with a chance of snowfall.
“We need to have this event because the people that came before us — the people that we’re honoring today — they did it in rain, they did it in snow, they did it with hoses and dogs, and they did it because it was so important, something that they needed to do,” Hill said. “I feel like we cannot honor them if we’re not willing to be a little uncomfortable in the cold.”
Sharmy Davis, Director of Diversity at OCTC, said those thoughts rang true for her as well as she was helping plan the event.
“My dad grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, so he knows. I’ve learned through him and his experiences that you got to do what you got to do to make a change,” Davis said. “And it was great seeing cars drive by and wave and clap.”
Both Hill and Davis were thankful for the public turnout and think it showed how important the holiday is to the community.
City officials, educators, and families marched along the nearly mile-long stretch as they chanted in honor of King.
Olga McKissic, Executive Director of Western Academy, said she wanted to bring the scholars at Western Academy to help teach them the history and how to honor the people before them.
“They have to know their history because it is history that made us. We didn’t make history, it made us,” McKissic said. “This is part of their culture, this is part of someone fighting for their rights, for equality and for justice.”
As families marched, some children also walked alongside their parents.
Talaina Board said she brought her son as a participant at Western Academy, but wanted to ensure her daughter also was in attendance for the march.
As a mom today, she hopes to instill in her kids the passions of King and the lessons he shared with the nation.
“We all come together as one — no matter your skin color, no matter the obstacles you’ve been through. Just keep striving, keep going,” Board said. “Don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you’re less than a person.”
The whole day was planned with the theme of community unity to provide a chance for people to come together after so much isolation during the pandemic. They continued the day with a panel of women of color to talk about the importance of diversity in the community and in different facets.
“I think it’s just an important way for us all to celebrate to come together,” Hill said. “Everybody comes together for MLK day every year in the rain, snow, shine; we are here.”
