Tallahassee remembers Martin Luther King Jr. with march to state Capitol, parade

On a chilly Monday morning, while many were still sleeping in on their day off, members of the NAACP chapter of Tallahassee and others from the greater Tallahassee community gathered at 9 a.m. at the city's C.K. Steele bus plaza.

They were there to honor and commemorate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the work of several civil rights activists, such as Tallahassee's own C.K. Steele, and lead a symbolic march to the state Capitol.

The choice of venue was intentional, a nod to Steele's influence here. He was pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church from 1952 until his death in 1980 at age 66.

Months after King spearheaded the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott following the December 1955 arrest of Rosa Parks, Steele swung into action. He organized the Tallahassee Bus Boycott after the arrest of two Florida A&M University students, Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson, who sat down in the “whites only” section of a segregated city bus.

"As we commemorate the profound impact of Dr. King and Rev. Steele, let our hearts swell with gratitude for their sacrifices and let our spirits be ignited with the flames of passion for justice," said Mia Nicholson, president of the Florida state chapter of the NAACP.

"In honoring their legacies, we pledge to continue to fight for equality, ensuring that their endeavors were not in vain."

The organized protest lasted from May to December 1956, but the boycott was not officially declared over until May 1958.

Plenty of people in the crowd came adorned in regalia of their Black sororities, such as Alpha Kappa Alpha, and fraternities like Alpha Psi Alpha. Others had on merch from Florida A&M. One man wore a sweatshirt with King's face on it.

Local leaders in the crowd included Leon County Commission Chair Carolyn Cummings, Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna, former mayor and city commission candidate Dot Inman-Johnson, as well as City Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox, Curtis Richardson and Jeremy Matlow.

Alongside stood Pastor Derek Steele, son of C.K. Steele, and Florida A&M associate professor Tiffany Packer.

"Today, we honor the sacrifices (Dr. King) made in his daily life as he fearlessly fought for the rights of our people. But today, as we reflect on his legacy, may we also hold a mirror to it by acknowledging our own power and our own strengths as we continue to navigate the often rough waters of civil rights, human rights and securing justice for all," Packer said.

"None of us are progressive until we all link arms and we walk to the finish line together, despite race, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status, we all deserve a seat at the table," she added.

Following her speech, the audience lined up to begin the march, led by a police motorcade. As NAACP members, local leaders and community members stood side-by-side marching up to the Capitol, they chanted together, sang songs and talked among themselves.

As they reached the Capitol, members were welcomed with chairs and a podium as they prepared for the rally. Kids were running around, community members sat down and listened to a gospel choir and several guest speakers, including Cummings, who shared a favorite King quote with the crowd.

"He says that 'everybody can be great because everybody can serve,' so today on the celebration of Dr. King's birthday, I invite each of us to renew our dedication to the cause of justice and equality," Cummings said.

The city of Tallahassee later hosted its third annual MLK parade which began along Monroe Street. Following the parade there was a celebration at Cascades Park with a variety of entertainment, activities and a Tallahassee Nights Live performance.

The year's theme was "A Celebration Of Community Champions" which city officials said was reflective of Dr. King's vision of unity and the community's desire to acknowledge and honor those who champion positive change."

At the Cascades event, Mayor John Dailey read a proclamation honoring Florida A&M University and its athletes, specifically its football team for winning the Black College Football National Championship in December.

"What a beautiful afternoon ... honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr," Dailey tweeted later. "Loved seeing our community come out to celebrate."

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee gathers to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.