Warm jackets — and even a few blankets — were the order of the day Downtown on Monday as people lined the streets for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Grand Parade.
They were there for one reason: To celebrate the legacy of the civil rights leader and enjoy the federal holiday established in 2000.
Most people said they have been attending the parade for years, but for Alexis Miller and her 3-year-old daughter, Angel, it was a first-time experience.
“We’ll be back next year for sure,” she said.
The event brought nearly 50,000 people Downtown. A lot of new customers tried the lunch menu at D&G Deli and Grill at 233 E. Bay St. while they watched the bands and floats move past.
“We always have a lot of business when there’s a parade,” said co-owner Daniel Gilbert.
King was the most recognized spokesman for nonviolent activism during the civil rights movement.
The campaign for a day in his honor began in 1968, soon after his assassination.
The holiday was signed into law in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan. It was first observed in a few states three years later, and by 2000, all 50 states recognized the third Monday in January as the holiday.
The parade was organized in Jacksonville in 1980 by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation. A small procession began and ended at the Downtown campus of Florida Junior College, now Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Over the years, the parade got bigger and the route became longer. Until 1998, the parade was held on Saturday and marched from Edward Waters College to J.P. Small Park Stadium along Myrtle Avenue.
After two different routes from 1999-2014, the city established a new route in 2015. For the past two years, the procession began at EverBank Field and ended with a celebration of King’s life and work at the Prime Osborn Convention Center hosted by the foundation.
The parade was presented this year by the Law Offices of Ron Sholes.
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