OCU community joins OKC MLK Day parade

University earns second place in College Group Division in first year of participation

LIFE EDITOR

Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day was celebrated Jan. 16, with a day off of classes and a parade in remembrance.

Created to celebrate King’s achievements in civic engagement and racial seg- regation, the day is a federal holiday repeated annually on the third Monday of January, first observed in 1986.

King was an African American Baptist minister who advocated to end racial segregation through non-violent means, including sit-ins, boycotts, and marches.

His peaceful approach gained him notoriety as a civil rights leader in the 1960s. King is also known for his impassioned speeches and writings, some even from his imprisonment.

A hugely influential part of the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize prior to his assassina- tion in 1968. His legacy has a vast reach that prompts speeches, marches, and parades every year.

Oklahoma City is home to the third-largest MLK Day parade in the nation.

Put on by the OKC MLK Jr. Coalition, the parade features sponsorship and involvement from count -