Close to 1,000 people participated in the 31st annual rally and march honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 21. The event began with the rally at Garfield High School, where attendees heard spoken-word and musical performances, including “Lift Ev’ry Voice,” often referred to as the Black National Anthem. People then participated in a march from Garfield to the Federal Building.
Local festivities coincided with a larger celebration more the 3,000 miles away: the second inauguration of President Barack Obama. “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths — that all of us are created equal — is the star that guides us still,” Obama said during his inaugural address in Washington, D.C. A group of celebrants watched the televised address at the Northwest African American Museum in the Central District.