I've marched in the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade in Dayton every year since 2001, except 2007 when my dad was in the hospital. There are 4 groups, North, South, East, and West. I march with the smallest group, from the East. We assemble at the St. Paul UMC, a beautiful old church with a cornerstone that says 1888.


St. Paut's United Methodist Church

It was warmer than usual this year, about 20 degrees, here I am bundling up.


Yea, that's me!

Each of the four groups keeps a puzzle piece for the Unity picture, here is the East side's piece of the puzzle.


The East Side's piece of the puzzle.

We had a smaller crowd this year than usual.


East side contingent.

We have a police escort as we march down 3rd street


East Third, looking downtown


The four groups converge on 3rd and Main


And the 4 puzzle pieces come together

There is a short ceremony at the courthouse. Mayor Rhine McLin was not here this year, she was in D.C. for the inauguration.


There was a good crowd at 3rd and Main


The ceremony is at the old courthouse. We listen to a short presentation, clergy from different faiths read a part of the I Have A Dream speech, the local catholic high school choir sings, the local news cameras are there, and we all sing "We Shall Overcome."


The puzzle picture is complete when all 4 pieces are in place. We have a stronger community when we all come together.

I had many reminders today about tolerance, about respecting others, about lifting others up and out of poverty and ignorance. About non violence and patience, about history and about the future. I'm glad I march in this each year, I just wish it wasn't in mid-January!

-Chuck, Vegetarian fanboy

that is really cool.
here in SE WI they don't do anything.....
the kids still have school but for the past 2 years we only have a half day of classes.....

however they were scrambling around the building today to make sure every classroom has a TV or a video projector hooked up to one to watch the inauguration...of which they informed us today we will be on a special bell schedule...

Charin, good post.

I was wondering what the clocks and "do you know what time it is? It's YPC time" was about?

The church has either a day care or an elementary school there. The posters have nothing to do with MLK day.

-Chuck, Vegetarian fanboy

Did you guys stop at Flamingo's on the way back and say hi to Tim Case and Felicia Foxxx?

That would be North.

-Chuck, Vegetarian fanboy

I have noticed that all the pieces of the puzzle are the same. That way there was no chance of the marchers fucking it up.

You kinda look like that guy from ADT that died in the car accident. Maybe you are his doppleganger?

I wonder if God cried when you posted a picture of one of his churches on a porn message board?

awesome ....thanks...and a perfect balance to some of the cracker ass racist threads

I made a funny graphic:

That's whats happening in the church:

Quote:

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Correct me if I'm wrong but when you march in a parade don't you normally march in the street, not on the sidewalk?

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Yeah, this is the first year we spent some time on the sidewalk. We were in the street about 1/2 the time, the puzzle piece is on caster wheels and need a decent surface to roll. I thought being on the sidewalk was wrong, too.

-Chuck, Vegetarian fanboy