People Gather to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

People across the country are gathering this weekend to remember Martin Luther King Junior's dream and the impact Doctor King on our country.

Nearly 50 people came together to participate in the Walk in Peace today in Tulsa.

"Martin Luther King was a great guy. He did so much for this country. He made so many dreams come true for a lot of people," said Former Tulsa City Councilor, Jack Henderson.

Jack Henderson says the he's participated in the Walk in Peace almost every year since it started in 1984.

“I’m getting older and I don’t know how many years I’m going to take this walk here and walking in the parade, but I am going to do it as long as I can,” said Henderson. 

The walk starts at the First Presbyterian Church near 7th and Cincinnati then goes about half a mile to the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church.

Participants say with every step, they remember the peaceful marches of previous generations and the dream Martin Luther King Junior had.

“Some things that he spoke about then are still relevant today and that’s why we have this walk in peace to try to let the young people know that everything they enjoy today came by struggle,” said Tulsa MLK Society President, Pleas Thompson.

Pleas Thompson has been the president of the Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Commemoration Society in Tulsa for 9 years and says he is always pleased with the turnout they see.

"It’s blacks and whites and people of all races and all colors saying that America needs to be better than what it’s doing,” said Thompson.

"If its 100 people or a thousand, its always satisfying to know that we are taking the time out to celebrate this great man," said Henderson.

But Henderson says his dream is that one day the Walk will actually be on Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, which he worked so hard to rename when he was a city councilor.

"I continue to fight and one day we will have the Martin Luther King Parade on the street that is named after the man we honor every year," said Henderson. 

More people across Green Country are preparing to honor Doctor King's legacy on Monday at the annual MLK Day parade in Tulsa.

The parade starts at 11:00AM and goes east on John Hope Franklin Boulevard then turns onto North Greenwood before ending on Archer.

Crews will close the parade route starting at 10:00AM.