“The Arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
A phrase once popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. echoed through the streets of midtown as residents gathered for the 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Grande Parade. Amid freezing temperatures and a divisive presidential inauguration, cheers of joy pierced through the cold air as local high schools and colleges united just hours before a historic snowfall brought Houston to a standstill.
Among the colleges that attended the parade was Houston Community College, which garnered attention from the residents with a float decorated in white and yellow with a picture of an emboldened Dr. King front and center. Emily Klotz, an English professor at the college who helped volunteer to give out small HCC merchandise to kids and adults throughout the parade, said she was proud to have participated in a day of unity.
“Unity is the ideal of human beings of all different types recognizing their shared humanity and being there for each other,” said Professor Klotz when asked what unity meant to her. Ironically, this year’s parade occurred the same day the newly elected president took the oath into office. With tensions running high and fear perpetuating throughout the country, Houstonians held firm against a freezing chill to support this year’s parade theme, “Unity Through Diversity.”
helped volunteer for the MLK Grande Parade this year. (Joshua Jones )
HCC’s Central College President, Dr. Butch Herod, who wore extra layers of clothing to be part of this year’s celebration, shared a similar sentiment as Emily about the importance of unity amid great political division. “Unity is people coming together for a common goal,” said Dr. Herod. “We should absolutely bridge the divide that exists; there’s tremendous polarization in this country, and we need to bridge that if we’re going to move ahead as a united country and not a divided country.”
As President of Central College, Dr. Herod has engaged with many students who dreamed of making a positive impact in the lives of their families and the community. One takeaway he wants all HCC students to glean from Dr. King’s legacy is the importance of fighting for what’s right, no matter the adversity. “Stand up for your beliefs and principles that you know are right,” he said. “Dr. King had that because he knew what he was doing was right.”
A freshman business major who volunteered on the college’s behalf during that cold day was seemingly impacted by Dr. King’s fight for justice many years ago. His mouth was hidden among layers of jackets, yet the young man still muttered a strong remark about Dr. King.
“He’ll always be praised.”
