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Using King's Legacy To Combat Injustices

Ann Thompson
/
WVXU
Marching east on Fifth Street to honor Dr. Martin Luther King.

With Music Hall under renovation the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Day march took a different route: east on Fifth Street to the Taft Theatre.

It was there that Xavier University's Adam Clark called out conservatives and progressives for molding Dr. King's words to fit their message. "The radicalism of Dr. Martin Luther King has disappeared from our public consciousness. When you listen to most speakers talk about King you would almost think of someone who died of natural causes and not politically assassinated.

Credit Ann Thompson / WVXU
/
WVXU
Dr. Adam Clark examined Dr. Martin Luther King's radical side when speaking at the Taft Theatre.

Clark says the best way to honor King is to use his legacy to combat the injustices that are embedded in our day, like the more subtle phrases of "I don't like bussing," or "A big government is bad."

Dr. Kelly Boyd and her daughter were at the program and are familiar with both sides of Dr. King.
"Well we were just talking down at the Freedom Center that if people had actually read the content of some of Dr. King's speeches, not sure if he would be so popular."

But peace seemed to be the consensus of many people who attended the Cincinnati King commemoration.

High School senior Chris Braxton has his own way of keeping and promoting peace. He said, "I just keep my faith in God because he's the one who really leads us and we just have to stand behind our new president, Donald Trump, no matter what happens."

Donald Crews says peace gets things done. "Everything he's said has always been true. Be non-violent. Don't say anything to police or anybody else who tries to talk to you. Just do your job." Crew met King in West Virginia and participated in sit-ins with him.

Mildred Myles left the program hopeful. "I thought it was beautiful because one day we shall get together and overcome."

See more pictureshere on the WVXU Facebook page.
 

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.