Although there were snowflakes in the air and below freezing temperatures, that didn’t stop a large, driven crowd from participating in the annual NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in Hopkinsville.
The march started at the Boys and Girls Club on Walnut Street and made its way to First Street Missionary Baptist Church, chanting, singing and holding signs. Over 100 students from area schools, both public, private and home school, participated in the march. The service at the church was host to joyful music, performed by the First Street Baptist Church Choir, and inspirational and educational words from several speakers.
The keynote speaker was Reverend Randy Jackson, who leads Flowers Baptist Church in Grenada, Mississippi. He encouraged the crowd to teach the youth of today about the sacrifices and struggles that were had to get to where we are now. He says you can find leaders who were active in speaking out for those who couldn’t right here in Christian County.
Reverend Jackson says Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged everyone to dedicate their lives to helping others, who could not help themselves.
He says don’t let the seeming bleakness of the world around keep you from doing what you need to do.
The Christian County Public School Challenge was close this year, but the trophy went to Freedom Elementary School for having the most marchers in the parade. The youngest march was 4-year old Steven Poole and the senior march was 79-year old Hugh Northington. The person in attendance from furthest away came from Boise, Idaho.
