The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words boomed through the Bo Diddley Community Plaza in downtown Gainesville Monday afternoon as thousands of people gathered to remember the civil rights leader whose dream made history.
The National Holiday Kick-Off Program, which is sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida Inc., celebrated the country's progress since the civil rights movement got rid of segregation based on race in the 1960s.
“This is one of the most diverse years,” Alexis Amaye-Hunter, a program speaker, told the crowd.
Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan encouraged the audience to band together as a community regardless of race.
“This is what it means to be an American, to reach out to those in need,” Hanrahan said.
During the ceremony, Eastside High School senior Benjamin Osoba was awarded the 2010 Edna M. Hart Keeper of the Dream Award scholarship.
Osoba told the audience that since King’s time, America has progressed into a society that embraces diversity, evident by the election of President Barack Obama.
But this progress is only the beginning.
“I implore you to ask yourself this question,” Osoba told the crowd. “Are we truly living the dream of Martin Luther King?”
Natalia Leal, chairwoman of the MLK Jr. Committee, said this event was an opportunity to unite the community over a dream memorialized by King more than 40 years ago.
“We have encouraged the UF community to come together to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King throughout the celebration,” Leal said.
