Hundreds march in Macon for annual MLK celebration

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Hundreds of people in Macon marched Monday morning in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leaders rallied across the city as people walked to the government center in downtown Macon. 

Several students from Wesleyan College were part of the march. 

“This is our first time coming to the march and it’s also our college’s first time kicking off Black History Month and so we figured we’d come here and do it right,” D’Andrea Dixon, a student, said. 

She and her classmates wanted to remember the civil rights leader. 

First timers along with annual participants say it’s important to recognize what the civil rights leader meant to society. 

“If we don’t instill in our kids the importance of the history and the struggle they’ll never know because their life has been made better because of the blood and tears of other people,” Shirley Lawson, one marcher, said. 

A foundation marchers are worried will crack if Dr. King’s message of peace is no longer a priority. 

“If we don’t stop killing each other and work together in a cooperative fashion, then our generation will be lost,” Lawson said.

D’Andrea and her peers say they aren’t going to let that happen and are looking to continue to care for their community. 

“We have a strong student body who’s concerned about social justice issues and we care about the Greater Macon community as well as our college campus community,” the student said.