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By PATRICK COOPER
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- For what would have been the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's 72nd birthday, community leaders are planning a holiday weekend full of events.
The highlight of the celebration will be the 16th annual Drum Major for Justice Parade on Monday. Organizers said Friday that they anticipate 130 participants in the parade, including 20 high school marching bands from throughout the United States.
"These events basically seek to remind all of us to recommit ourselves to the legacy and the life of a great American that paid the supreme price," said Sevell Brown, the parade's main organizer and the president of the St. Petersburg-Pinellas chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. "We can't celebrate him enough to thank him for almost single-handedly dismantling the walls of segregation in America."
The parade begins at 1:15 p.m. at the Vinoy Resort and goes south along Bayshore Drive to Central Avenue. After going west on Central, the route turns south onto Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Ninth) Street, and then ends in the Tropicana Field parking lot by Third Avenue S.
Brown said the route along Central Avenue holds special significance because it once defined the boundary between black and white sections of St. Petersburg.
"That avenue divided the races," he said. "We need to let that avenue now bring the races together."
In addition to streets on the parade route, cross streets also will be affected from 12:30 to 5 p.m. These include Bayshore and Beach drives and First through Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) streets. Police suggest using 16th Street or Interstate 275.
For people heading to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performance at 3 p.m. Monday at the Times Bayfront Arena, city traffic officials suggested that they use I-275 and take exit 9, the I-175 exit.
Prior to the parade, weekend happenings can be found throughout the city.
Today, school-age children and their families can attend a special multimedia presentation of King's "I Have a Dream" speech from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 Ninth Ave. N. The program in the library's auditorium will include music, games and refreshments.
Religious leaders will join in an ecumenical service at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Prayer Tower Church of God in Christ, 1137 37th St. S. Organizers say members of all faiths are welcome.
In the spirit of the event, the location changes among synagogues, Protestant and Catholic churches and various other faith-based organizations.
The marching bands that will play in the parade also can be seen at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Festival of Bands at Florida Power Park/Al Lang Field, 230 First St. S. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 11 and younger.
Before the parade Monday, the 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership and Awards Breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m. at the St. Petersburg Coliseum Ballroom, 535 Fourth Ave. N.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Dolly Adams, supervisor of women's ministries for the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The proceeds from the $20 tickets will be used for scholarships.
The final event will be a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. Monday on the south lawn of the Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, in downtown St. Petersburg. People attending the free event will then walk along Bayshore Drive to the gazebo at Demens Landing waterfront park where there will be readings, song and refreshments. Organizers want participants to bring a flashlight.