MLK Marade Draws Record Crowd, Inspires Calls For Action

By Cara DeGette, GPHN Editor

More than 30,000 people came out to celebrate the 86th birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Gathering in City Park on Jan. 19, the massive crowd marched down Colfax to Civic Center Park across from the State Capitol in this year’s Marade. Organizers and participants were particularly motivated to action this year by the recent killings of black men at the hands of police, including Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and Eric Garner in New York City.  Many wore T-shirts with the messages “BLACK LIVES MATTER” and “I CAN’T BREATHE.” They chanted “HANDS UP, DON’T SHOOT,” and “THE PEOPLE, UNITED, WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!” The Marade was followed by a conference at the historic McNichols Building in Civic Center Park, which was attended by hundreds of activists highlighting plans to step up pressure on elected officials and community leaders with the goal to attain equality for all.