By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Monday, the nation is celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The civil rights leader is the only African American to have a federal holiday named in his honor.
The community celebrated his contributions with an annual parade Downtown. Thousands showed up in Downtown Las Vegas Monday morning for the annual parade. People of all ages and of every color, each helping keep Dr. Kings dream alive.
But the statue of Dr. King in North Las Vegas is constant reminder of everything he fought for.
Thousands lined 4th street, braving the cold and watching the floats, dance groups and marching bands go by. The parade theme this year was Living the Dream — Setting New Heights in Our Community.
Parents say that's exactly the kind of message that needs to be passed on to our children — to make sure they understand equality among all races and that they never forget the difference Dr. King made in our country.
Las Vegas resident Eddie Bryant hasn't missed this parade in the last 25 years.
“It tugs at my heart because. If you look at America today, you look at Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama being able to run for presidency — not many years ago it was unheard of that a female or African American would even consider running,” he said.
This was the 26th annual parade hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. Committee. Most parents out on the parade route say it's their responsibility to teach their children about Dr. King's legacy.
Dr. King's message of equality was definitely heard around the world and even brought him here to Las Vegas where he spoke at the convention center in 1964.
Parade organizers tell us there were at between 20,000-30,000 people in attendance. It lasted about five hours.
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