MLK Jr. celebrations in North Texas ignite communal spirit, with residents rallying for change and service.
DALLAS — No matter where you are, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday serves as a reminder of his dream. “Remembering Martin Luther King and letting everybody know his dream wasn’t in vain,” said Terry Jones, an Oak Cliff resident.
It is a call to action that Jones experienced for the first time at the South Dallas MLK Jr. parade. “It matters to the community. It matters to the whole world actually. We’ve got to stand up and do something better,” said Jones.
Even if the youngest of those at the parade may not fully understand, the message is still passed along.
“It’s all about the peace and the community,” said Jones.
In Arlington, fifth grader, Leighton Meitl, was in charge. “I was a Girl Scout, and my Girl Scout troop took me to a packing event, Meals of Hope, and I fell in love with it,” said Meitl.
She called on the Rotary Club of Arlington and The Oakridge School to pack nearly 50,000 meals for Meals of Hope and raise thousands of dollars.
“She raised $4000 last year for this. She came to us, and we said if you raise $7000 we’ll match your $7000, and so she’s got $14,000 and I hear there’s 43,000 meals here that are going to be prepared today for the needy in Arlington,” said Richard Hendricks, Rotary Club of Arlington President.
“It makes me feel so warm inside, and I hope that people who get the meals will feel warm too,” said Meitl.
Above all, MLK Day is about service.
“It’s honoring Doctor King’s legacy. This is what he, uh, fought so hard for,” said April Benjamin, The Oakridge School Assistant Director of Admissions. “Have our world give back and be strong proponents of community service.”
“These people have come out today on their day off so that they can make sure that people in our community have food, and that’s an amazing gift that anybody can give,” said Victoria Farrar-Myers, a doctor.
Although service can be shown in different ways, it’s the message and action that lasts.