On Fort Worth parade route, spectators gather to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 16,2023

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See full Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Emerson Clarridge here.

Along Houston Street in downtown Fort Worth, crowds of people gathered at midday on Monday for the annual parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The parade included high school marching band members with plumes of feathers extending from their hats and stern U.S. Army Junior ROTC cadets.

“Left, left ...,” instructors narrated the steps from bullhorns.

Union members and politicians past and present from Fort Worth and beyond had representatives at the parade or were there themselves.

“For me, it’s just to see the community come together on this day and be part of the celebrations,” said Debra Edmon, 61, of Fort Worth. She watched from the edge of the Sundance Square plaza as a rally continued after the parade.

People sitting in folding chairs waved at festooned vehicles. An armored limousine was followed a bit later by a vehicle on which a sign advertised free HIV testing.

Cotton candy-sellers attached bags of their product to poles. Some parade participants tossed candy from vehicles to the spectators.

From pickup truck beds, people danced and sang.

Car clubs were grouped by model. Corvettes moved down the street with butterfly doors raised. Roars sounded from motorcycle exhaust pipes.

This was the 38th annual MLK Parade and Rally in downtown, hosted by the Greater Fort Worth Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Committee. The event highlights community unity, the living hope of King’s dream, and a commitment to justice.