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Prattville Citizens Take to the Streets for Annual MLK Day

By Andrew Edwards

Staff Writer 

Crowds gathered in downtown Prattville this morning to await the annual MLK Day Parade – hosted by the Autauga County Improvement Association. 

The Parade, which has been held annually since MLK Day became a national holiday back in January of 1986, has been a staple of the Prattville community for over 30 years. 

As per usual, the Parade started at 9:00 a.m. at Stanley-Jensen Stadium and moved its way downtown before finishing at First Missionary Baptist Church, where a service was held after to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Within the parade were several different cars, floats, and motorcycles that subsequently threw out candy to onlookers – most of which had a bag in hand, ready to collect as many sweets as possible. 

Mary Wright, 89, is one Prattville citizen that takes the parade very seriously. 

“I’ve been coming to this for over 30 years now and I’ve only missed one of these parades ever. It’s special to be able to come out and honor what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did for not only this state, but for our country as well,” Wright said. 

Rev. Johnny Davis, member of First Missionary Baptist Church and one of the chief organizers of the parade, gave some more insight into the history of the MLK parade. 

“This was actually one of the first parades in the state that honored MLK. Before me was Rev. Tim Robinson, JD Miller, and others. They were the ones who started this parade, and I’ve been lucky enough to come on the scene later and continue it. The purpose of it all is to the keep the dream alive and keep pressing forward,” Davis said. 

He also commented on the impact that the parade has had on the community as a whole. 

“Most people look forward to having this every year. It’s an opportunity to come together in unity to make the city better. We know all know how Dr. King and so many others lost their lives to fight for equality, so that’s why we hold this parade – to come together as sisters and brothers,” Davis said. 

After the parade, FMBC held a special service to honor Dr. King, where members of the Prattville ROTC quoted famous sentences from the “I have a Dream” speech. In attendance was Mayor Bill Gillespie, who seemed just as happy as anyone to bask in the memory of a man who did so much for race relations in our country.