Silent march in Grand Rapids honors MLK

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — People gathered in downtown Grand Rapids Saturday morning to honor Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a silent march.

This march was supposed to happen last month on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but it had to be postponed due to freezing temperatures.

It was organized by the Eta Nu Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. King was a brother of that fraternity.

The group began their march at Heartside Park at 11 a.m. and ended at Calder Plaza.

They were joined by U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, members of the NAACP and more.

After the march, speakers talked about the importance of King’s teachings and legacy and how we can keep his dream alive today.

“It’s bringing awareness to Dr. King’s vision and dreams and leadership in the civil rights movement. But it still resonates today. Mostly, it’s about social injustice as well as being able to just show up and do something. So the idea here is that as you leave, just do something. Show up at work, show up in your family, show up in your community, just do something to be able to move in the right direction,” Marcus Nelson, the vice president of the Eta Nu Lambda chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, said.

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