WACO, Texas — The community kicked off Martin Luther King Jr. weekend with the 32nd annual wreath-laying ceremony at Indian Springs Park in Waco.
"It doesn’t matter about the color of your skin but like he said it’s the content of your character,” said event organizer Coque Gibson. “We are here to celebrate him. There's an old saying that says 'out of sight, out of mind' and we do not intend for Dr. King to be out of sight or out of mind.”
Former McLennan County Commissioner Lester Gibson has put on the ceremony every year, and his wife said the wreaths serve as a reminder of who King was and the message he tried to instill in Americans with his historic 'I Have a Dream' speech.
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal," Gibson quoted from King's speech.
Cities throughout Central Texas plan to honor King with banquets, community service events and candle light vigils.
In Temple, there will be a unity march at the police station at 3 p.m. Monday and at Lions Park.
In Killeen, community members will begin marching at 9:00 a.m. Monday. State representatives said it is important for the community to get to know one another.
"The fact that we don’t know one another creates barriers and makes it difficult to communicate,” said Texas State Representative Doc Anderson. “The more we get to know one another and the more we reach out to each other the more successful we will be in life.”
A march will also take place at the Suspension Bridge in Waco at 9:00 a.m. Monday.