Letting Freedom Ring From Stone Mountain, Georgia

To many of us, Martin Luther King's birthday just means another day off from school or work. Most see it as an excuse to clean, go shopping or watch reruns of "Law and Order." In downtown Stone Mountain,  though, crowds turned out to remember why it's a holiday.

The Ninth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Rally took place Monday thanks to a committee of members from the DeKalb NAACP and the city of Stone Mountain.

"It gets better every year," said Cherry Willis, second vice president and healthcare committee chairperson with the DeKalb NAACP. Having been with DeKalb NAACP since 1999, Willis has been working on the Stone Mountain event for MLK Day since its inception.

Including a Stone Mountain Patch car, around 53 groups assembled for the parade to begin marching at 12:30. The long and busy line had an array of different organizations from surrounding cities in the metro area: Autism First, the Decatur Red Hatters, boy scouts, the Glenwood Hills Dance Team, the Stone Mountain,  Avondale and Tucker high school marching bands, and more.

For roughly an hour and a half, the sedans, pick-up trucks, convertibles and walkers paraded for by-standers up and down 4th Street, 3rd Street and Main Street, where the parade ended near Mimosa Drive. Hundreds of attendees of all ages gathered around on various parts of the streets to watch as all celebrated the holiday together.

"I was happy to see the different organizations that participated," said Jerrie Williams of Stone Mountain. "It was a nice turnout, especially for a small town like this."

Many decided to stay for the rally that followed the parade at Champion Middle School's auditorium. The Negro National Anthem was sung by Bria Johnson and enthusiastically by many in the audience, and the cheerleaders and dance team from Glenwood Hills showed off their moves.

Speakers included U. S. Congressman Henry Johnson and Georgia Senator Steve Henson.

"He offered us a message of peace, and inspired us to respect our neighbors," said Johnson of King. "His dream was a vision of common purpose and common humanity."

Champion Middle School eighth-grader Jared Sawyer, who's also an ordained minister, sent chills down practically everyone's spine with his recitation of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, evoking hoops, hollers and loud applause at high points with his perfect imitation of the masterful orator.

At the end of the speech, when Sawyer exclaimed with great power and vibrato, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last," the applause was thunderous, and not a few listeners were wiping away tears. 

Stone Mountain resident Willie Williams was among those watching the parade and rally, and like many who commented, Williams' favorite part of the parade and rally was the "I Have a Dream" speech. 

"It was my first time going," Williams said of the event.  "It was amazing and impressive. I think they should continue to have this event every year."