Bartow celebrates legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and local hero George H. Gause

Breanna A. Rittman, The Ledger
·2 min read
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After a two-year hiatus, the city of Bartow returned with its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and George H. Gause Parade and Festival.

Officials with the Bartow Deacon and Steward’s Alliance, Inc., which has coordinated the celebration since 1991, were happy to be able to host the event again.

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“People have been tied up in their homes for so long and we felt it was an opportunity for people to get out," said Carver Young, president of the Bartow Deacon and Steward’s Alliance. "We’re still trying to follow CDC guidelines and do the right thing.”

Cadets in the Summerlin Institute program march past the L.B. Brown house during the Martin Luther King parade in Bartow Fl. Monday January 17 , 2021. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER
Cadets in the Summerlin Institute program march past the L.B. Brown house during the Martin Luther King parade in Bartow Fl. Monday January 17 , 2021. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER

Young, 71, said despite parade registration numbers being low compared to past years he was still glad to see those who came out.

“We wanted to get the people out to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King and George Gause,” Young said.

Bartow City Commissioner Leo Longworth, 72, was also happy to see the community come together for the celebration.

“It means a lot to collaborate - to and have fun together - to celebrate the legacy Dr. King and George Gause left,” Longworth said.

George H. Gause, a hero to the Bartow community, was a mortician, served as the first Black mayor of Bartow as well as the first Black member of the Polk County School Board.

Mounted riders parade by the L.B. Brown house during the Martin Luther King parade in Bartow Fl. Monday January 17 , 2021. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER
Mounted riders parade by the L.B. Brown house during the Martin Luther King parade in Bartow Fl. Monday January 17 , 2021. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER

Though she could not attend this year’s festivities, Gause’s daughter Joyce Gause Thurman said she was pleased her father’s legacy was celebrated with King's.

“The entire Gause family is deeply honored and appreciative of the Bartow community along with the city and the Deacon and Steward's Alliance that they saw fit to honor my father along with the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," Thurman said. "We are humbled and thankful for such an honor.”

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Following the parade, a festival was held at the Carver Recreation Center. Due to the pandemic, activities for the festival were held outside.

“Normally we have a gospel program and all kind of entertainment on the inside, but we decided not to do that this year," Young said. "Hopefully, next year we’ll be able to pick it back up.”

Breanna A. Rittman writes news features for The Ledger. Send your feature ideas to BRittman@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: MLK Day: Bartow, Florida celebrates Martin Luther King, George H. Gause