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Services, celebration salute civil rights leader

Civic leaders skipped the traditional march to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; they are saving up for a parade in 2006.

By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN
Published January 16, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - When civic leaders gather with the community this weekend and Monday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., they will do so with smaller gatherings - and no public march.

The decision marks a break from a Hernando tradition. Frankie Burnett, a Brooksville City Council member and president of the Hernando County branch of the NAACP, said he wanted to forgo a march this year and save money for a grand parade to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2006.

This year, that means the main remembrances of King's legacy of nonviolence and civil rights include a church service that was held Saturday night and a celebration at the Frederick Kelly Elks Lodge on Monday morning.

"We've always just had marches," Burnett said, explaining his plans for next year. "We've never had a parade."

This is not the first year that community leaders have not marched. The 1995 march was called off because officials didn't obtain a special events permit in time.

But organizers said this year's activities would stress freedom and unity. The official theme is "Commitment to Freedom."

On Saturday, Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church had a memorial church program, an annual tradition among local churches. Program coordinator Dianna Butts said the speakers try to stress spirituality as well as King's historical legacy.

In the past, Butts said, they have sung songs like The Battle Hymn of The Republic and Lift Every Voice and Sing, which is considered the black national hymn.

"How are you going to go forward if you don't know where you are from?" Butts asked.

A celebration "keeps his dream alive for all of us coming together," she said.

The events at the Elks Lodge will be less somber. Local politicians will speak about King's achievements, and students will perform activities such as step-dancing, reading poems, singing and playing songs, Burnett said.

Burnett said he also hoped to enlist vendors to participate. But as of Friday, he said, not many had signed up for the Monday event, which begins at 11 a.m.

Still, the money raised during this year's festivities is less valuable to Burnett than the spirits he hopes to energize.

King "was committed to making sure everyone is free," he said. "But we've got a long way to go as Americans."

The legacy of King means more rights for all Americans, Burnett said, not just members of one racial group.

"He fought for everyone who was mistreated," he said.

Abhi Raghunathan can be reached at araghunathan@sptimes.com or 352 848-1431.

[Last modified January 16, 2005, 00:32:15]