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To honor his dreamPrayers and parades mark what would have been the Rev. King’s 72nd birthday.
By PATRICK COOPER © St. Petersburg Times, published January 16, 2001 After 11 hours on a bus, several more hours in Monday's hot sun may not have been the best thing for Ron Davis' asthma.
Davis carried the bass drum, the big drum, for his New Orleans high school band through most of St. Petersburg's parade honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "It's difficult," he said, "but you're dedicated for a cause." Throughout the Tampa Bay area, residents celebrated what would have been King's 72nd birthday with prayer vigils, breakfasts and parades. In Clearwater, people of all ages flooded Cleveland Street, marching through downtown with pictures of King bobbing above their heads. In New Port Richey, more than 100 residents gathered for the 11th King celebration in Sims Park, featuring music, readings and a history lesson. And in Brooksville, community leaders unveiled signs for the new Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
"We had people say you couldn't do anything in Hernando County," said Gregory Williams, an event organizer and former candidate for state representative. "I am so proud of our citizens" for these recent successes. "I'm happy." In St. Petersburg, the 16th annual "Drum Major for Justice Parade" drew more than 130 participating groups and thousands of onlookers as it wove through Bayshore Drive, Central Avenue and M.L. King (Ninth) Street. Nancy Dudley took her 9-year-old son and a few of his friends to the parade with dual purposes. "I want my child to be educated," she said. "We're going to have a lot of fun, too." Ex-musicians in the crowd said the 20 bands in this year's parade could not be beat. Sitting along Central Avenue, Floyd Cuffie smiled as band after band marched past. A trombone player in junior high and high school, he said he comes every year to watch the parade and enjoy the music. Further down Central, Kim Tyre, once a clarinet player in her high school's marching band, watched from the doorway of the City Gear store where she was working. "It's wonderful," she said. "The more activity that can happen downtown the better." St. Petersburg firefighter Greg Harvin and co-workers created a lot of excitement as children in the crowd jumped up and down to get a better look at their fire truck. "They should have (a parade) every day," Harvin said, noting the size and diversity of the crowds enjoying the parade. "You couldn't pick a better way to honor Dr. King," he said. A group from the Holocaust Museum, including a Holocaust survivor, drew many cheers. "It's a very small world, and people have to realize they have to live with each other," organizer Saul Korn said. For many of the public officials in the parade, the day had begun early at a Leadership Awards Breakfast in the Coliseum Ballroom.
More than 650 people attended the 7:30 breakfast, featuring a speech by Dolly Adams, senior supervisor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. "The dream has eternity in it," said Adams, who praised King for being a courageous force who understood his calling. "He defined who he was. He defined respect and demanded the responsibilities." College scholarships for two local teenagers were announced at the breakfast. The recipients were Gibbs High School senior Jana Richardson and Northeast High School senior Ramond Walker Jr. Whether by looking to youth and the future, or to history and its hard-fought victories for equality, Tampa Bay communities made King's life the topic of the day. Speeches, a picnic and prayers followed the street sign unveiling in Brooksville. "Yes, we have come a long way. And yes, some changes have been made," said the Rev. Wilbur Bush, pastor of First Baptist Church in Seffner, in his featured speech. "However, the struggle continues." Along the parade route in Clearwater, Rose Brewton, 70, said she was "marching for the cause." "Blacks, whites, greens, purples -- everyone should be marching today because it's a great thing," said Brewton, who has lived here for about 50 years. "The day's about equality and togetherness, and hope for a better future." In Crystal River in Citrus County, the Rev. Carl Gadson said that although King's dream has led to many advancements for African-Americans, many more are needed. "Racism still exists in America, but guess what? We cannot stop," Gadson, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church north of Ocala, told several hundred people. In Pasco County, social studies teacher Brenda Dorsett of Palm Harbor provided a history lesson. She said that when King began his civil rights work, he focused on two key problems: segregation and poverty. Dorsett told the audience how both factors, and many others, had been used to justify the enslavement of Africans throughout history and the treatment of blacks throughout the South after the Civil War. King, she said, organized non-violent protests against segregation laws and advocated the redistribution of wealth to aid the poor. "Our struggle continues," Dorsett said. "The questions remain the same." Poverty, homelessness, hungry children and drugs affected everyone, she said. Black people must stop referring to themselves as minorities -- as it makes them sound inferior -- using racial epithets as common speech among themselves and study their history. "As humans, we must stand together," Dorsett said. "In order to find Dr. King's dream we must find peace in ourselves."
King day celebrations Tampa: Recalling an era of struggle New Port Richey: Expanded King event considered Dade City: Dream for King day comes true Brooksville: Focus is pride of success Crystal River: More needs to be done to end racism, speakers say
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