Great Weather Welcomes MLK Celebration

Crockett Residents Enjoy Parade, Festivities at Davy Crockett Park 

By Jason Jones 

Messenger Reporter 

CROCKETT – After a cold and windy weekend, the unpleasant weather took a hiatus in time to cooperate with Crockett’s Martin Luther King Day festivities Monday morning. 

“Unity in the Community” was the theme for this year’s celebration. The day kicked off with the annual parade around the square and down to Davy Crockett Park where the celebration of Dr. King’s life and influence continued. 

Colonel Cedric G. Hill served as this year’s parade Grand Marshal. A graduate of Prairie View A&M, Colonel Hill has served in the military since his commission from Prairie View in 1992.  A highly decorated officer, Colonel Hill also has a master’s degree in sociology and counseling from Prairie View and a master’s from the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work.  While at the University of Houston Colonel Hill was nominated by his peers and awarded the Martin Luther King Social Justice Award. 

The bill to create Martin Luther King Day was sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy and passed the Senate in October of 1983. The following month, President Reagan signed it, establishing the Third Monday of every January as Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday, beginning in 1986. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is the only national holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, according to the corporation for National & Community Service. 

 Crockett High School band, multiple businesses, civic organizations, clubs, churches, car clubs, and trail riding clubs all participated in the parade. Attendance was high for the park festivities, and the beautiful weather and various food and crafts vendors made for a fantastic event. 

Jason Jones may be reached via email at [email protected]