Fort Lauderdale honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy with parade, community festival
FORT LAUDERDALE - The City of Fort Lauderdale kicked off the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with its annual parade and festival.
Hundreds took part in Monday's parade, including dozens of organizations, businesses, and community leaders, even during a cold downpour.
"This is nothing. This is great. But forget that part of it today is the day. Rain or shine, snow, storming we're gonna be here," said Dwight Devaughn, a Little League football coach.
But the event was not without incident. According to Fort Lauderdale police, around 8:30 a.m. they were notified of a possible threat against the King Holiday Celebration Parade.
"FLPD's Threat Response Unit is conducting an investigation into the source of the threat. Meanwhile, we have an increased law enforcement presence at the parade," said police spokeswoman Casey Liening in a statement Monday morning. "We remind all parade goers to immediately report any suspicious activity."
Despite the threat, those taking part enjoyed the message of peace and unity.
"In the past, it was like we didn't really have as much rights as we have now. Now it's like equality," said Walker Elementary School fifth grader Shivenksy Cherizol.
A multicultural festival at Carter Park got underway after the parade.
Event organizers said the parade and festival are all about unity, community and the coming together for what Dr. King stood for and they're just trying to keep it going.