ORLANDO, Fla. — Spectators came out to remember and pay tribute to the beloved civil rights leader at the 36th Annual Downtown Orlando Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday morning.
- An estimated 8,000 spectators came to the parade
- RELATED: From Parades to Volunteering, Martin Luther King Events This Weekend
- SEE BELOW: The MLK Jr. Parade Route Map ▼
The parade is in honor of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who helped pave the way for equal rights for black Americans.
This young man is having fun waving at all the people coming by in the parade @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/vD1BvR9p6u
— Rachael Krause (@RKrause_News) January 18, 2020
"Everybody's coming out to simply remember the legacy of Dr. King. And that's really what it's about," said Rev. Alger Studstill, president of the Southwest Orlando Jaycees and chairman of the downtown Orlando MLK Parade.
A lot of smiles and excitement from folks along Orange Ave downtown as the MLK parade continues @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/j7J4A3leak
— Rachael Krause (@RKrause_News) January 18, 2020
He continued that despite our differences, the parade is about the community.
Officers are getting off their motorcycles, handing out candy to kids as the #MLK parade begins downtown @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/wdr1x5NwWd
— Rachael Krause (@RKrause_News) January 18, 2020
"No matter race, religion, background, it's about all of us being one community. And I think the more we do events like this, if it can happen here, that type of love, that type of spirit can spread throughout the country and right now, that's really what we need," Studstill said. "We're excited to just to see everybody coming together on this day to really demonstrate what Dr. King was all about."
Amazing bands at the MLK parade in downtown Orlando. @MyNews13 @citybeautiful pic.twitter.com/4OdLxaw808
— Matt Fernandez (@MattMyNews13) January 18, 2020
And it was not just Studstill who appreciated what King did for Americans.
"Well, I think it's nice because he did a lot of things for us and switched it, brought us all together," said Alex Dangerfield, 11, who is attending his first MLK parade.
"Yeah, I just wanna get the candy," laughed Dangerfield.
It was estimated that 8,000 spectators came to the parade, stated Studstill in a news release.
Studstill stated that the theme for this year's parade is: "King 2020, The Beloved Community: The Fierce Urgency of Now."
The parade started at 10 a.m.