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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Nashvillians celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday.
Civil rights leader Andrew Young spoke at a breakfast, hosted by the law firm Bone McCallester Norton, at the Music City Center.
Young, a friend of Dr. King’s and former ambassador to the United Nations, was asked what the holiday meant to him.
“To me, it means Martin Luther King is still very much alive in our lives, that he has such an impact on this country that almost 50 years after his assassination, we’re still celebrating his life, still hearing his words and we’re trying to… trying to make the world a better place.”
A youth forum about Dr. King’s legacy was held at 8:30 a.m. at the downtown library.
At the forum, Mayor Megan Barry announced a plan to create 10,000 jobs for Nashville’s youth, in hopes of reducing violent crimes in the juvenile population.
At 10 a.m., Nashville’s annual MLK Day March was held.
Marchers made their way from Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church to Tennessee State University’s campus. Participants held signs and wore t-shirts with quotes from Dr. King.
TSU also hosted its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day convocation at 11 a.m. at the Gentry Center.
School president Glenda Glover said, “He brought so much hope and healing to America and we thought in these times, we needed to continue our celebration, particularly among the young people. If you notice with the march today, there were so many young people there, because they represent the new hope of America.”
Mayor Barry and Congressman Jim Cooper attended the convocation.
The keynote speaker was Brittany Packnett of Teach for America.