On January 21, people across the country spent their Monday recognizing the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Countless parades were marched in, service activities volunteered in, and visits made to Dr. King’s memorial. Below are 5 highlights from MLK Day.
President Trump made an impromptu stop at the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial. In the President’s two-minute visit, he lay a wreath at the foot of the statue and commented on the “beautiful day.”
“Mr. Trump’s stop by the memorial — to observe a moment of silence without extended public remarks — appeared to be a last-minute addition to his calendar. The president’s schedule listed no public events to mark the federal holiday honoring King’s life,” wrote Annie Karni in an article for the New York Times.
“Martin Luther King Jr. would say love not hate would make America great. Did you all hear that? Love not hate would make America great,” Martin Luther King III, Dr. King’s son, said.
Vice President Mike Pence, interviewed by Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on January 20, connected President Trump and Dr. King by their goal to make America a “more perfect union.”
“Now, Martin Luther King Jr. was a bridge builder, not a wall builder. Martin Luther King Jr. would say love not hate would make America great. Did you all hear that? Love not hate would make America great. See, we hadn’t achieved, we’ve had spurts of greatness,” said Martin Luther King III in an article written by Devan Cole for CNN.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s son criticizes Vice President Mike Pence for citing the slain civil rights leader to make the case for a wall along the US-Mexico border https://t.co/LTdRYrsWJR #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/T4Fzaol7Ix
— CNN (@CNN) January 22, 2019
SMU faculty and students walked in Dallas’ Martin Luther King Day parade. The route was a mile walk from Holmes Street to Fair Park along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Proud for @SMU_MustangBand, @PerkinsSMU, @SMUMustangs athletes, faculty & staff to walk the walk in the Dallas MLK Parade yesterday. It's not over! Join MLK Unity Walk @SMU 6PM Weds. https://t.co/6F9qmx3q6i /News/2019/MLK-Unity-Walk-2019 @NBCDFW @wfaa
@CBS11 @FOX4 @dallasnews pic.twitter.com/0z5j0fBcQs— SMU Media (@NEWSatSMU) January 22, 2019
The city of San Antonio claimed to have the largest Martin Luther King Day march in the nation.
WATCH: An estimated 300,000 people marched to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in San Antonio, Texas on Monday; organizers claim the march is the largest in the nation https://t.co/vhYE084Gca pic.twitter.com/k9L7WJdH8z
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 21, 2019
The Corporation for National and Community Service conducted the annual MLK Day of Service across the nation. This year’s Day of Service marked the 24th one conducted.
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