Hundreds in Tyler honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with march, ceremony

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Hundreds gathered at the square in downtown Tyler Monday morning to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Tyler city and religious leaders, along with high school marching bands and community members marched south on Broadway after gathering on the downtown square. The event was organized by Tyler Together Race Relations. The organization’s president, Bishop Nickalous McGrew, said the gathering was symbolic of what was done in the sixties.

“Rather than get in our cars and parade, we get on our feet because the ones of ancestors and those, they tirelessly walked for us to have a right to go through the front door,” McGrew said.

The parade concluded at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception where members of the Texas College Choir sang, speakers shared comforting and inspirational words, and students were recognized.

Stephanie Williams sings in the Texas College Choir and said, “Today was just so real to me. I think it was so important to see so many faces of different backgrounds and races to come together for the common cause to honor Dr. Martin Luther King. What he did and what we’re seeing today says that dreams really do come true.”

This year’s theme was “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Stanley Cofer with the Texas African American Museum said, “I came out today because this is a special day to honor a special vessel of God, that really brought this nation together when it was in a turmoil situation… This nation has come so far. We are becoming more of a perfect union and the more that we have gatherings like this, the more perfect we can become.”

This year’s event marks 37 years of honoring Dr. King in Tyler.

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