Living the legacy

HAMMOND | About 250 people took part in the city's annual sunrise march in commemoration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, joining another 150 in a celebration of the Civil Rights pioneer's life at the Hammond Civic Center.

As they began marching Monday morning from City Hall, some people who braved the cold began singing some of the songs that strengthened the Civil Rights movement more than 50 years ago. All remembered and celebrated King's legacy.

The Rev. Wayne Hudson, president of the Hammond Ministerial Alliance, which along with the city sponsored the event, stressed the importance of looking back at the struggles King and others endured in order to further that vision.

"So often we mistakenly believe that history is something that only happened in the past, but we are part of that past and we are part of the present," Hudson said.

City Council President Anthony Higgs said King was a forerunner in the Civil Rights movement and that through the years many have picked up his torch in their own cities and neighborhoods, working to bring an end to segregation, racism and discrimination.

"We must continue to pray and reflect on how far we've come as a nation," Higgs said. "There are more (social ills) to confront us as a nation."

Higgs said he believes one of the keys to furthering equal rights is in teaching children the traits necessary to bring about positive change in their communities and be leaders in their own homes.

Theodore McClendon, whose parents Milton and Ruby were posthumously awarded the Ministerial Alliance's Distinguished Service and Rosa Parks Legacy awards, said one of the reasons his parents were so loved by their community was that they served as that example, sending their three sons down a positive path.

"Every dinnertime conversation was training in behavior, in civil rights," McClendon said.

Living the Legacy Now

Three longtime Hammond residents were awarded for their achievement in furthering Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of unity by the Ministerial Alliance of Hammond and Vicinity. James P. Davis received the Drum Major Legacy Award for his contribution in pioneering the city's annual march and in recognition of his dedication and commitment to his community. Ruby McClendon posthumously received the Rosa Parks Legacy Award for her service to the East Hammond community. Her husband Milton McClendon was posthumously awarded for his service to the community.