Rescheduled parade, worship service honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Feb. 19—Youngsters had several reasons to come to the delayed Martin Luther King birthday parade Monday.

Cherokee Elementary student Da'Vrion Jackson said he liked the "old school" cars, especially the El Camino. Jazzy Warrior, however, liked all the candy tossed out by parade participants.

D'Mya Brown summed up the reason for the parade.

"It feels good to have the parade, because of the freedom," she said.

The parade, plus festivities at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, were canceled on the actual holiday Jan. 15 because of frigid weather. Several hundred enjoyed much nicer weather on President's Day, the first available holiday.

During a worship service before the parade, the Rev. Ron Venters, pastor of Christ's Kingdom Builders Church, said King's famed "I have a dream" speech was a declaration of better days to come.

Venters predicted better days to come for Muskogee.

He asked audience members to recall the way Muskogee was 50 years ago.

"And you remember what Muskogee looked like, and you remember Main Street, Second and Third Streets, all the businesses that were here," he said. "And I said when I got here, 'Muskogee's got it going on.' Then as time has evolved, those of us who have been around thought 'this place used to be kicking.'"

Venters said Muskogee's better days could be better.

Muskogee is posed to grow, like a "like that caterpillar that's crawled inside a cocoon."

"It looks ugly when people look at it," he said. "There's nothing taking place on the outside, but what's taking place is working for our good on the inside. and then we break out of the cocoon."

He asked audience members if they are living within their purpose.

"A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder," Venters said. "God made everything on purpose. There came a time in history when Dr. King began to live a life with purpose. and I believe that time is going to start manifesting for you and I in this time."

The parade featured several dance and cheer squads, including two from Cherokee Elementary. Muskogee High School Band and MHS Air Force JROTC also participated in the parade.

There also were candidates for city and state offices. They included incumbent District 13 State Rep. Neil Hays and his Republican primary challenger, Muskogee Schools Superintendent Jarod Mendenhall.

Representatives from historic black towns Tullahassee and Taft joined the parade. Members of fraternities, sororities and churches carried banners and tossed candy.