The Key Biscayne Fourth of July Parade has been going strong for 67 years. But what is the origin? Well, way back then, as it is today, the event was organized by resident volunteers.
An interview published in Islander News in 1982 focused on Jean Yehle, one of the original founders. Her story, as it was told back then, revealed that Jean had been one of the few whites present at Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech delivered in Memphis, Tenn., the night before his assassination.
After the assassination, Jean decided to join in the civil rights march for which King had come to Memphis. That march went on despite King’s murder, led by his widow Coretta Scott King, only a few days later. It served as a memorial to Dr. King in addition to its original civil rights agenda in support of Memphis’ striking black sanitation workers.