King Day, inauguration bring hope around area

The celebration of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday had special meaning around the region Monday for thousands who marked the event as the country prepares to swear in its first black president.

“I am really proud to be a part of this historic moment and to see such great change,” said Pierre Russell of Atlanta, who braved brisk cold at Atlanta’s annual King Day parade. “I never expected to see a black president in my lifetime.”

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Jessica McGowan/jmcgowan@ajc.com

Kelita Shaw, 17, (left) and Dymond Latimer, 11, (right) carry a sign down Auburn Avenue in Atlanta

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Russell, 47, said the inauguration sets the tone for coming generations.

“I am so happy my kids are able to see this,” he said. “It gives them something inspiring to look forward to.”

In Cobb County, more than 800 people attended a King birthday celebration at the Civic Center’s Anderson Theater, sponsored by county government and the local NAACP.

Several hundred celebrants in the capacity audience watched the program of hymns, poetry and modern dance on television screens set up in an adjacent auditorium.

“This is our moment,” said State Rep. Alisha Thomas-Morgan.

After the celebration, the local SCLC chapter sponsored a parade that marched down to Marietta Square.

Snellville residents Adele Duplechain and Tokiwa Milton brought about a half-dozen children to watch the King parade meander down Auburn Avenue. For Duplechain, 28, it was her first parade. Milton, 35, said they made sure the children understood the significance of what they were witnessing.

“Having a black president, for them, is so inspirational,” Milton said. “The kids know now they can accomplish anything, there are no limits.”

Twins Corey and Coreyon Howard, 9, echoed each other’s excitement.

“We think he’s going to be a great president,” Corey said. “And he sets a good example for all of us. We can grow up to be anything we want,” Coreyon said.

Ohio native Earl Edwards, 49, moved to Atlanta seven months ago and Monday’s parade was his first. He said he was thrilled to see in person what he’d only experienced through the media.

“It’s so exciting to be right here in the middle of all of it,” he said. “I live in the historic King district so it means even more to me.”

Edwards swelled with pride as the parade passed.

“This is my first parade with so many African-Americans in it,” he said. “That just makes it so much more special for me to be a part of it.”

Philippe Bouvier, 47, a chef at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and a native of France, attended the Cobb event partly out of curiosity. Bouvier said he wanted “to see the feeling, the atmosphere. I wanted to see if there was any change,” following the election of Obama.

His conclusion: “People are more optimistic.”

Steve Johnson, 44, who teaches math in Paulding County, came with 10 members of his extended family. He said this year’s event seemed more jovial than others he’s attended in the past.

“There is a difference,” he said. “Because we have a new president. It’s funny, when you pass people, there’s more of a camaraderie. Somehow, we’re a little different because he is president. It lifts a burden in some ways.”

In a short ceremony, the city of Sandy Springs awarded its annual Humanitarian Award Monday to Lucy Hall-Gainer, the founder of Mary Hall Freedom House, a residential center that helps women overcome addiction. Hall-Gainer, whose mother died of alcohol-related causes when she was 6, said she was overwhelmed by the honor.

The award annually recognizes a city resident who embodies the humanitarian spirit of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Mary Hall Freedom House, named for Hall-Gainer’s mother, is helping 250 women and children this year.

“We’re Sandy Springs’ best-kept secret,” Hall-Gainer said.

As part of the King holiday, a day of service event was sponsored by Hands On Atlanta and several sponsors. The event included projects at 14 sites in and around Atlanta.

At Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary School, in East Point, about 45 volunteers weeded and planted flowers around the school. Inside the school, they painted directional signs on the walls to common destinations, including the gymnasium.

The signs are contained within a paw print of a lion, the school mascot, and included arrows pointing people in the right direction. “It will be interesting tomorrow to see if [the children] notice anything different,” said Mandy Bell, the school’s media specialist, who helped coordinate the service event.