SAN DIEGO — Most people are familiar with Dr. King's “I Have a Dream Speech.”
That famous speech was delivered at the March on Washington in 1963. We still honor Dr. King today because his legacy leaves behind a call to action for equity and peace. CBS 8 was there at one of the first King Parades in San Diego in 1980 at Knox Elementary School where more than 300 students remembered Dr. King.
"He was a Black, civil rights King," one student in 1980 said. "He's done boycotts on the bus so they can sit in the front. He's a fine man. He just had to leave early.”
Another young student that day shared a similar sentiment.
“He was a Black man that had many dreams that everybody would be free."
Dr. King’s legacy still resonates with young students today, especially Ezekeial Rabb.
Rabb is a junior economics major Chinese minor, attending Morehouse College from southeast San Diego.
Rabb attends Dr. King's undergraduate alma mater and is home in San Diego on his winter break. Rabb said he’s excited for the MLK parade this Sunday.
"Martin Luther King was all about community activism. He was in the streets really marching with protesters, peaceful protesters at that, and fighting hate with love." Rabb shared how he wants to continue King’s legacy in San Diego.
"I want to bring black excellency here," he said. "That's one of my main goals as well. So MLK Day is just one of the stepping stones to do that."
Dr. Robert Walker is the President of the San Diego Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. They are the organizers of the 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Parade in San Diego. They’re also the same fraternity of which, Dr. King was a member.
"I'm not only a role model, but I'm engaged with mentoring programs with young African American males going to college, going to trade schools, and wherever they want to do," Dr. Walker said. "We're together as an organization, together as a community. We can make changes and things will and can change. Dr. Martin Luther King started it in 50’s and 1960’s, but we are continuing that legacy in 2024."
Andre Mitchell is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and a parade organizer. He says it’s important to bridge the gap in equity in a community to make the community better as a whole.
"I think every young Black man goes through a journey," Mitchell said. "They get to a point where they get angry. They’ve encountered racism."
Mitchell also says the grace Dr. King bestowed will forever be a part of his legacy.
“Hearing someone say, be non-violent. Love your enemy. Love them. Be non-violent, you know. Use the teachings of Christ. It's hard when you hear that as you're coming of age. But If you get anything by violence, that violence is coming back around. But if you have grace, that is strength."
WATCH RELATED: 42nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade