HOUSTON, US

A Black advocacy group in the US state of Texas is carrying on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to fight for the equal rights of all people as the nation marks Martin Luther King Day.

The Black Heritage Society of Houston has spent the past 45 years advocating for social justice to promote King's vision of peace and unity on this American holiday held on the third Monday of January which commemorates the actual birth of Martin Luther King on Jan. 15, 1929.

"We don't want to forget the significance of what Dr. Martin Luther King did for civil rights and his contributions to society just for us to have equal rights." said Felicia Dugas, who is coordinating this year's Black Heritage Society parade on Monday, which more than 10,000 people are expected to attend.

King's "I Have a Dream" speech holds the premise that everyone should be equal, no matter what the color of their skin.

"I have a dream that one day...little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers," he said on Aug. 28, 1963.

The Black Heritage Society strives every day to promote that philosophy.

"Dr. King wanted his children to live in a world where we're not judged based on the color of our skin, that we should be judged by our character," said Dugas.

As cities across the US -- from New York to Los Angeles and from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. -- prepare for Martin Luther King Day celebrations, Houston's festivities are focusing to make sure that King's legacy lives on in a relevant and meaningful way.

In an interview with Anadolu, Dugas said that this year's activities will include a hands-on tour of an actual voting booth for children to see firsthand.

"We need to let children and young adults know that they wouldn't have the rights they do today if it weren't for Dr. King," she said. "That's why it's important to involve the children and have a voting booth for them to have an opportunity to see what it looks like."

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, in large part due to King’s influence during the civil rights movement, finally giving millions of African Americans the most fundamental right to vote and choose their elected representatives.

"A lot of children don't know that back in the 1950s, you had to pay to vote or that there were polling tactics to intimidate Blacks not to cast their ballots," said Dugas. "So having that voting booth there is a crucial reminder to our younger generation about the importance of voting."

"It is our civil right to vote, and Dr. King is an important reason why we can vote today," she continued. "The Voting Rights Act gave us our equal rights."

Despite the importance of recognizing Martin Luther King Day and King's contributions of prioritizing civil rights in the US, Dugas acknowledged that there are still racial injustices and inequalities in America. She pointed to the string of Black people who have been killed in recent years, most notably George Floyd, who had his neck kneeled on by a Minneapolis police officer while uttering the phrase "I can't breathe" dozens of times before he died. The four officers involved in Floyd's May 2020 killing were all sentenced to prison for their involvement in his death.

"We're thinking this can happen to any of us, not just George Floyd. He was killed because of the color of his skin. He was killed for being Black," emphasized Dugas. "That could have been my husband, my children. All of us can identify with that."

"Civil unrest is still happening. I don't know why it's still happening. People obviously must still have hatred and anger in their hearts," she continued. "You don't have to hate a person for the color of their skin. We don't want hate. We just want the basic rights of any human being: a nice place to live, raise your family, equal playing fields at our jobs and good schools for our children to go to."

However, even with tragedies like Floyd's killing happening to African Americans, Dugas said she is still optimistic that society can come away with the positive and nonviolent messages that King professed.

"Yes, we do have injustice and civil unrest at times, but we do have to teach the younger generation that it will be a better place for them in the future if we follow Dr. King's philosophies, that it's not just one race or one color, that we're all together."

King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968 by escaped fugitive James Earl Ray, setting off deadly racial violence across America.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, making Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday.

While Martin Luther King Day is a US celebration, Dugas said King's message is one that is relevant around the globe, especially in current times as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.

"Overseas -- like with Russia and Ukraine -- if Dr. King was still alive now, he would be against the war, and he would promote unity and peace across the world," said Dugas. "He emphasized peace, love and unity. We are all created equal and we all are a human race and we should share respect and love one another."

On the most basic level, Dugas said that every person in society -- regardless of race, color, ethnicity, or religious background -- can do his or her part to make the world a better place, just like King did his entire life.

"Being kind to one another, smiling at someone. It's just a little token of love you can give to others that can go so many ways," said Dugas. "One person can make a difference. MLK was one person, but he made a huge difference that has transcended around the world."

To make sure King’s legacy and teachings are not forgotten, Dugas expressed the importance of teaching the younger generation to not forget about the sacrifices he made to fight for the civil rights of those who once did not have a voice in society.

"Everyone, no matter where they live, needs to recognize all his kind acts that he's done. It's a philosophy that should be shared around the world," said Dugas. "To teach children and our young people and to show the world we can all come together to express what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. represents, that we want to be treated with dignity and respect."

"We can all get along."