Members of Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity to which Dr. King once belonged, march along the road named in his honor.
"For them to come together and be so diverse tells you that what his work was is still meaningful and actually is continuing to grow," Pettway said.
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By DREW GARDNER
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - On the day named in his honor, crowds of all ages gathered along the street bearing his name to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"It's important that we continue participating to let people know that the dream is still being built on," said Gary Pettway.
Pettway has been participating for several decades as a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity to which Dr. King once belonged.
"Today is about continuing to unify and come together in America to eliminate the injustices that still exist," said Pettway.
For people who come year after year like Otis Littlejohn, those signs of unity are becoming more and more prevalent.
"One thing I like to see is the diversity," said Littlejohn. "It's very diverse. It's not just African-Americans, but also Caucasians. I've seen some Hispanics. Its very, a very diverse group of people and that's what the American dream is all about."
"For them to come together and be so diverse tells you that what his work was is still meaningful and actually is continuing to grow," Pettway added.
For those in attendance, it was also a proud moment to share this day with another big event happening in our nation's capital - the second inauguration of President Barack Obama.
"For me its a proud moment both ways," said Pettway.
"It's an awesome thing to be a part of history and hopefully this is the first step to not only African-Americans, but Hispanics to Asians, to other cultures being President of the United States," added Littlejohn.
That's what keeps these crowds coming back every year and they say they will continue to come and serve in the manner Dr. King did until his dream is completely realized.
