Martin Luther King honored in St. Martiville last Sunday

St. Martinville – The Golden Key Social and Civic Club’s annual ceremonial march down Main Street in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. drew around 100 people under a powder-blue sky Sunday.

Nary Smith, Golden Keys MLK committee chairman and moderator, said it was great to see people from all walks of life and on both sides of the political fence gathering together in front of the parish courthouse to honor one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.

King’s legacy will remain strong as long as people remember, Smith said.

“It’s about enlightening more people and keeping the dream alive,” he said.

After ceremonies and speeches at the courthouse, the crowd marched in procession southward to the JCEP Alternative School gym on Martin Luther King Drive for a program honoring, among others, the St. Martinville High School Class of ’71, the first fully desegregated class.

“People, we have come a long way, and I’m humbled and thankful and grateful every day,” said state Rep. Terry Landry during the ceremony at the courthouse. “But we have a long way to go, and it’s all of our responsibility to carry the legacy of this great man.”

Landry said younger generations sometimes forget what older generations of African-Americans lived through on the road to recognizing King’s dream.

“This dream is in the hands of those who have made it, those of us who have gotten a good education, those of us who have had the opportunity to lead school systems,” Landry said. “It’s our responsibility to pick this community up and carry it on our backs.”

Also speaking at the courthouse were St. Martinville City Councilwoman Debra Landry and Councilman Arthur Champ, Phillip James and Anthony Stewart. Musical selections were provided by Brittany Jackson and Barbara Anthony, and Kelton Marshall offered a poem.

Gloria Phillips Kindrick gave the keynote address at the JCEP ceremony. The Untouchable Dancers added to the program.