MARCHING ON

MLK March sees hundreds of locals in attendance

The Dunbar Heritage Association had to reschedule the LBJ MLK Crossroads Rededication Ceremony and MLK March that was originally scheduled for Martin Luther King’s Birthday. Not all was lost though as the event kicked off Black History Month on Feb. 3. The rededication ceremony, which involved wreath laying at the site of the MLK Drive and LBJ Drive Memorial statue and bench created by Aaron Hussey, included speeches by San Marcos Arts Coordinator Trey Hatt, Dunbar Heritage Association President Alex Banbury, Dunbar Heritage Association Vice President Mittie Miller, Dunbar Heritage Association Secretary Jonafa Banbury and Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Robert Blakley. Directly following the speakers, the large crowd marched through the streets of the historic district and ended the march at the Hays County Historic Courthouse for additional festivities.

Blakley said King contributed to the fight for equality in many ways such as leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1965, writing the famous letter from Birmingham Jail in 1963 and winning the Nobel Peace Prize as the youngest person to win at 35 years old.

“I believe that I would be doing my good brother MLK a disservice if I did not focus on the vision that he had for not just people of color but for the nation of America as well. I believe now more than ever his vision rings true that it is our duty to make sure that his dream is fulfilled,” Blakley said. “There are people still living today who still remember what it was like not having the right to vote, facing segregation, facing massacres [and] race riots and just the overall ideology that black people were second class citizens. Without the brave individuals who were alongside MLK, we are not sure how long it would have taken us to get where we are today.”

Jonafa Banbury said she thanked God for the rainbow that was present during the ceremony and said she thought deeply about the memorial and what she would say. After much consideration, she decided to highlight that “it’s no small thing” that the memorial is at the crossroad of MLK Drive and LBJ Drive in San Marcos, Tx.

“When you look at the crossroads memorial it only encompasses about 248 square feet … so it’s a really small space. But this small space sits at an intersection in a small city,” Banbury said. “There is no other place like it in the world. There is no other place where Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson streets intersect. Thus the LBJ MLK Crossroads Memorial sits on a small piece of land at the unique intersection named after two civil rights icons.”

Banbury said that King and Johnson’s paths would cross with the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 — the very moment honored at the memorial.

“Dr. King was a civil rights giant and a larger than life symbol in the fight for equality and LBJ was a politician and larger than life figure here in the state of Texas and in the U.S,” Banbury said. “The merging of their destinies is embodied here at this little intersection at No Place Else in the World, Tx.”

Hatt said he thanked everyone in attendance for celebrating the rededication of the memorial that many people worked very hard to erect ten years ago.

“The Crossroads Memorial is the result of residents that sought to commemorate the efforts of President Johnson and Dr. King in our community at this unique intersection,” Hatt said. “The memorial was taken on by the San Marcos Arts Commission and funded as a public art project with support from the city of San Marcos, Hays County, Texas State University and private donors.”

Hughson proclaimed Feb. 3 as Rededicate the Crossroads Memorial in San Marcos Day.

“A community of San Marcos Residents working under a shared vision to commemorate President Johnson and Dr. King at this special location formed the Crossroads Committee and worked tirelessly to realize the dreams of a public memorial at this spot,” Hughson said, adding that she called upon the residents of San Marcos to recognize the legacies of Johnson and King “realizing civil rights for all.”

The ceremony occurred on a perfect day that was a cool 68 degrees and ended in a march that traveled through the historic district and ended at the courthouse grounds with hundreds of locals in attendance.