TULSA — This year, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Society held its 40th annual celebration in Tulsa.
The theme for the celebration is based on the thought of "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - The Dream is Forever."
Organizers want parade-goers to come together to gain a better understanding of one another.
The parade is one many of the people who attend say they make a point to attend every year. They said it is important to honor what Dr. King did for the African American community and make sure the younger generations understand.
"I pretty well know what it's all about, but I want [my daughter] to know the things," Rose McNeil said.
Parade-goers said it is important to take the opportunity to celebrate, because there was a time when a parade could not have happened.
"This is what he fought for," Fannie King said. "He worked hard to fight for this."
It is a fight proving to be an ongoing battle.
A recently released video shows a University of Oklahoma student in black face using racial slurs. Parade-goers said instances like that can sometimes cause people to forget the progress that has been made.
"Whenever we have those types of things happen and we can turn right around and celebrate a day like today that means there is victory," Nadia Hall said.
For the first time, the commemoration society teamed up with the Guthrie Green to host a continued celebration that will feature performers from Tulsa.
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