Children and families braved strong winds and cold temperatures on Saturday, Jan. 14 to line the downtown Augusta streets for the parade honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
At 1 p.m., the annual procession began at the Dyess Park Community Center on James Brown Boulevard and ended on 11th Street where Johnson Motors used to reside.
Floats featured many local organizations and leaders such as Soul Basketball, the Stolkin Temple, S.O.S.E., Ed Lowery, Chief Judge Carletta Brown, Ramone Lamkin, the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, the Muhammad Study Group, the Rosa T. Beard Debutante Club and the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club.
As they waited for the parade to pass, longtime residents of 11th Street talked about the importance of remembering King and other historical figures. They said that such memories bring further awareness of how such figures changed history.
“It was great. I love it,” said resident Tairyck Hightower. “I come out here every year and make sure I’m here for the parade.”
Hightower said the event not only celebrated King’s birthday in a way he would have been proud of, but also encouraged those who grew up in the area to see old friends and look back on their own memories.
“I’m pretty sure it would have put a smile on his face … a lot of the people in the community are alumni,” he said. “It just makes the community look better as a whole, and it brings people together.”
Several college fraternities and sororities also participated including Epsilon Gamma Sigma Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta and the Zeta Xi Omega Chapter.
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Mother Isley Hampton brought her children to enjoy the fresh air, remember King and spend energy catching candy on a sunny, but windy afternoon.
“It’s a wonderful thing to have the community get together and celebrate the culture together, that’s the main thing to celebrate,” she said. “It was good seeing everybody here together … especially since this is a mostly Black community, we need something to bring us together in that.”
While volunteers and participants of the parade passed, attendees and longtime residents of 11th Street waved and smiled at their fellow Augustans tossing beaded necklaces to crowds.
Scattered throughout the parade lineup, various high school marching bands and dance teams could also be seen as onlookers danced along to the percussion. Participating schools involved Cross Creek High, Westside High, Glenn Hills High, Butler High, Augusta Richmond Academy, T.W. Josey High, Hephzibah High and Lucy Craft Laney High.
Community departments and committees also drove official vehicles and tossed candy, including the Marshal’s Office, the Fire Department, Augusta Commissioners and the Augusta Parks and Recreation to overjoyed kids bundled in coats, scarves and hats.
Grandmother Elisa Garnett, who attended with her granddaughter, said she thought the parade was a beautiful city effort.
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“This is commemorating Martin Luther King, and he has done so much for all people – so I just wanted to come out and support our community,” she said. “It brings everyone together and you get to meet others that you might not have otherwise known.”
One truck displayed colorful artwork of King, students from Tobacco Road Elementary shouted “I have a dream” on a float, and another participating vehicle looped his famous speech given at Lincoln Memorial. Remnants of King’s memory could be found throughout the parade’s joyful atmosphere.
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education, lifestyle and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
