By Amanda Raymond

amanda.raymond@salisburypost.com

The Salisbury community came out on a warm and sunny Saturday to watch the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade, the first event for Salisbury-Rowan Human Relations Council’s 30^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

Bands and dance groups filled the streets with music as they passed by. You could hear the drums of The Mini Funk Factory Marching Band as they came up the street, stopping at the intersection of Innes and Main streets for a performance.

Other groups stopped at the intersection to dance to music coming from the speakers that event organizers set up, including the YouNique Starz and Triple Threat dance teams. Many of the groups had the crowd cheering from the sidelines.

Different officials also walked by, including former Salisbury council member Pete Kennedy, who served as the parade’s grand marshal, Mayor Karen Alexander and the Salisbury City Council and fire departments from Salisbury and East Spencer.

Marching bands from Livingstone College and North Rowan High School, with big sounds and lively dancers, drew lots cheers from community members.

Seth and Diane Labovitz, husband and wife, have attended or been a part of the parade for at least five years.

Dianne Labovitz said she enjoys the music and dancing in the parade, but she also likes that the community is honoring Dr. King.

“I like the message that it conveys, first of all. And it’s great to see the community come together for an event like this, for an occasion like this,” she said.

Cynthia Dillingham came out to see her granddaughter perform with Triple Threat. She said sometimes events can die out, but she is glad this parade hasn’t.

“The parade is continuing, I think that’s the good thing about it,” she said. “It has a positive atmosphere.”

Though many enjoyed the celebration of Dr. King’s life and work, some attendees said they thought Dr. King would not be satisfied with the way the world is today.

Diane Labovitz said there has been some progress, but there are still more issues that need to be addressed.

“I think he would think there’s a lot of work left to do in this country and all over the world,” she said. “Strides have been made, but so many more (issues) have come up.”

Dillingham agreed.

“I think he’d be disappointed. We’ve come a long way but there is still a lot more that needs to be done,” she said.

Jesse Walker, who has attended all of the MLK holiday parades, said today’s world is only somewhat better than how it used to be.

“I’d say it’s about 30 percent better than it was. I won’t go 50 percent,” he said, “because people just don’t treat people the way they’re supposed to treat people.”

Seth Labovitz said the parade is a great unifying event for the community, but Dr. King might have mixed feelings about today’s society.

“I think he’d be encouraged in some ways and kind of heartbroken in other ways,” he said. “I think he’d say, ‘Keep the dream alive, but wake up.’”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations will continue with the Humanitarian Award presentations today at 3 p.m. at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church and a breakfast at the Hurley YMCA on Monday at 7 a.m.