CINCINNATI — The community is marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day with events across the Tri-State.
Despite the cold weather, hundreds of people were at the 49th annual MLK Day march and program in downtown Cincinnati.
"It’s a fun-filled day, but it usually starts off a little brutally cold every year," said Jason House, who participated in the march.
This year was a bit more brutal than usual. Temperatures were in the single digits when the march kicked off.
"That lets us know how important it really is to still keep the fight going," said Marcia Battle, who attended the march for her first time on Monday. "It was amazing to see so many people, as cold as it is, but they were bundled up completely."
It was a day to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and a chance for the community to come together.
"He didn’t only fight for Blacks. He fought for everybody. Whites, Hispanics, Asians — he wanted all of us to come together," said participant Calvin Luckett.
Monday's march began at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Downtown and ended at Washington Park. There were metro buses available to shuttle people who couldn’t march in the cold but still wanted to participate.
The theme of this year’s march was "Love, Power, Justice."
"We call it the beloved community," Herschel Daniels Jr. with the MLK Jr. Coalition said. "What do you love about your community, and how do we address power, with justice."
After the walk was over, the program continued inside the music hall with live musical performances and keynote speakers.
Marcia Battle said seeing the children’s choir perform was one of her favorite parts of the day.
"They did a great job. It was really great and the song that they sang was very relevant. Stop the violence, stop the hate," said Battle. "I think it’s important we teach each generation, so we don’t fall back into the past. If they don’t know our history, we’re likely to repeat it. So, it’s important we let them know."
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