“The Freedom to Dream Big” was the theme of the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Parade and Program held Jan. 16 in Fayetteville.
The Fayetteville MLK Day parade made its way through portions of North Glynn Street and was followed by the annual program at Sams Auditorium.
The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Portia Shields, appointed in 2011 as interim president of Tennessee State University. The two-year contract was to have Shields achieve re-affirmation of the university’s accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Shields previously served as the first female chief executive officer and chief academic officer at Concordia College in Selma, Alabama.
The annual King program featured a proclamation by Fayetteville Mayor Ed Johnson, a dance performance by Reigning Victory Dance Studio and musical selections by Lauren and Alyese Wilkerson.
Among those in attendance were Congressman Drew Ferguson, Fayette County School System Superintendent Jody Barrow, Fayette County Board of Education members Leonard Presberg, Brian Anderson and Chairman Barry Marchman. Winning entries in the parade included:
- School Marching Unit: 1st Place – Fayette County High School JROTC 2nd Place – McIntosh High School
Church Division: 1st Place – Flat Rock AME 2nd Place – Mt. Olive Baptist 3rd Place – New Hope United Methodist Church of Fayetteville- Business Division: 1st Place – Phenomenal Women Health 2nd – Reigning Victory Dance 3rd Place – Hope Funeral Home
- Community/Civic Organizations: 1st Place- Phi Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. 2nd Place – Every Color Matters 3rd Place – Fayette Grandparents Raising Kids
It was noted during the program that the parade grows larger each year. The same can be said of attendance at the program following the parade, held for a number of years at Sams Auditorium. The annual event was sponsored by the Fayette County NAACP Branch and the Fayette County Board of Education.
