SAVANNAH, Ga. () – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is here, and the city of Savannah hosts one of the largest parades in the country to celebrate.

For many families and residents, the MLK Day parade is a tradition.

“As you can see, a lot of people are here, there is a lot of diversity here. Without MLK I don’t think that there would be the amount of diversity, the amount of culture in Savannah,” said Ocean Delph, a Savannah resident.

Early Monday morning, people lined the streets in Savannah for the 44th annual MLK Day parade.

Organizers shared that last year there were more than 250 entries for the parade, and this year, there were more.

“It’s just important to be an advocate for our community, you know?” I think we (my kids and I) were talking about it this morning,” said Alex Carey, a Savannah resident. “The whole day represents freedom and equality, so it’s just nice to be living out that dream. Being shoulder to shoulder with our communities.”

The parade started at 10 a.m. and honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his impact on the civil rights movement. The parade honors Dr. King’s fight for racial equality and his long-lasting impact on the nation.

“Dr. King did this for us. To make us equal. To us to know that we are all together as one.
I love that this parade just brings out the whole community. To know that we are together, and that we stand together,” said Victoria Spivey, a Savannah resident.

Even with the cold temperatures, hundreds of people showed up. It’s worth noting, only two other figures have national holidays in the U.S. honoring them: George Washington and Christopher Columbus.