Hundreds of people filled the streets of downtown Gainesville Saturday, walking together in a peaceful march to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Organized by the Newtown Florist Club, the annual march drew participants from across Northeast Georgia. The gathering began with prayer before turning into a steady procession through the city, centered on a shared message of peace, unity, and justice, ideals that defined King’s work and continue to shape the observance held in his name.
King, born in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929, emerged as a national leader during the Civil Rights Movement by advocating nonviolent protest against racial segregation and discrimination. That approach helped bring about landmark changes, including the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public places, ended segregation, protected voting rights, and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce workplace fairness.
As marchers moved through downtown Gainesville, they reflected on King’s role, not only as an activist, but also as a pastor and community leader. From 1960 until his death, King served as co-pastor alongside his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, blending faith with public action in his call for equality…