By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Feature Editor
Honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a parade is a yearly tradition in Galveston. The parade brings out marching bands, motorcyclists, a lineup of muscle cars, classic older model cars, children on their electric motor jeeps, floats and walking participants.
Lineup for the parade was just a bit more than a stone’s throw away from the docked Carnival cruise ship. The weather offered sun interspersed with clouds, a few sprinkles and an ideal temperature for spectators and participants. The parade’s start time was 1 p.m.
Zayden and Zaylynn Garcia and their parents had a great time watching the parade and catching a couple stuffed animals.
As with most every parade in Galveston, candy was thrown for children, along with other desired trinkets. Beads in Mardi Gras, green, purple and gold were tossed out to adults and children alike as well.
Retired Army Maj. Mark Knight has been participating in Galveston’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade for 12 years. He serves as Ball High School’s Army Junior ROTC senior instructor.
“It’s a fun parade for a special day. It’s grown considerably since my first year,” Knight shared.
Honoring King’s birthday and his legacy for advancing equality, social justice, and economic opportunity for all is celebrated throughout America with parades, speeches and a call for people to get involved in and serve their communities.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, making the third Monday in January a federal holiday. The first nationwide observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day was on January 20, 1986. Though it was a federal holiday, some states took a while to begin to observe the day honoring the slain civil rights leader.
