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While preparing to participate in Leesburg’s 20th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day march, Ashburn resident Cordell Charleston got a unexpected, yet pleasant surprise.
For the first time, he was taking his sons, Christopher, 9, and Anthony, 6, to their first march to celebrate the slain civil rights leader.
“I talked to them before and asked them if they knew why they were celebrating this day. They gave me some really good answers,” Charleston said.
The father had told his sons of King’s legacy, but their depth of knowledge gave Charleston a sense of pride, he said.
“I’m here to celebrate Dr. King’s past and spend time with my family,” Christopher said.
On the day after what would have been King’s 83rd birthday, the family joined hundreds on Monday as they marched the 0.7 miles from the Loudoun County Courthouse to Douglass High School, the first high school built in the county in 1941 for African Americans during segregation. The school was named for African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass at the request of the community organizers.
Since 1986, on the third Monday in January, the nation celebrates the birth, life and legacy of King.
In Leesburg, on the 20th anniversary of the march, the crowd’s involvement had special meaning for Leesburg Mayor Kristen Umstattd, who said she’s marched in every event since its inception in 1992.
“I just love it. It’s a Leesburg tradition ... It’s one of the most meaningful experiences anyone can enjoy in Leesburg,” Umstattd said, adding this year was the first that participates walked alongside commerative stones placed along the route to mark the path for future generations.
Tammy Carter, chair of the “I Have a Dream” committee, took pride in the crowd that took part in the event, saying it was telling that King’s dream was still alive.
“It means that we can have continuity and that we all still come together and we still believe in equality. You can see by the different cultures that are here that we keep continuously coming together as one,” Carter said.
Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro echoed the crowd’s sentiment, stressing the importance of the day.
“I think it’s important for everyone to come out and remember what Dr. King did for all of us,” Lazaro said.
Marchers came from throughout the region to participate. All had their own personal reasons to walk in the frigid temperatures.
“Fellowship. Just honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. Not just his birthday, but everything that he did for not only blacks and whites, but Hispanics and all the kids. Just keep his dream alive,” said John Morton of Warrenton.
Issac Lewis of Springfield said he felt a sense of duty to march, especially given all that King and his supporters endured during the Civil Right’s Movement to pave the way for future generations.
“Somebody doing this at a worse time so that I can do it in my time,” Lewis said.
For Ramona Ridges of Leesburg, the march served as a teaching mechanism for younger generations.
Ridges has marched every year since the event’s inception, and each year brought with her a child from the Elijah Gate Learning Center in Leesburg, where she works, to participate.
“I come out every year to honor Dr. Martin Luther King,” she said.
 | Cordell Charleston of Ashburn marches with the Sigma Mu Mu chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and his sons in Leesburg's 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade Jan. 16. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny |
 | Jasmine Johnson, 5, of Leesburg, holds up a poster whie sitting on her father Ben's shoulders and marching in Leesburg's 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade Jan. 16. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny |
 | Hundreds march through Leesburg for its 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade Jan. 16. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny |
 | The Loudoun/Douglass Alumni Association waits to march in Leesburg's 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade Jan. 16. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny |
 | D-Set Step Team members from Seneca Ridge Middle School, from left, Kaitlyn Kocher, 13, Ivana Robinson, 14, and Dayana Cosm, 13, perform for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Douglass High School in Leesburg Jan. 16. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny |
It does deserve to be pointed out that Tom Dunn wanted the civic group entrance signs in Leesburg to have the confederate flag on it, him being a member of the Sons of the Confederacy. So, maybe we have a bit of an explanation of the inappropriate comments from someone called “Ben.”
Affirmative action, the gov’t enslaving minorities to welfare, housing programs and other lefty social engineering programs have tarnished Mr. King’s legacy. The unemployment rate, incarceration rate and welfare rate among minorities are your evidence. Congratulations.
Leave it to the Loudoun Times to arbitrarily delete comments that are not politically correct.
Mary Randolph’s oral history is the unwritten history of Loudoun. This history must be shared with all Loudoun residents and recorded for posterity. We should also consider that there continues to be racial issues in our community. The dialogue between people of color and white people must be honest and open, just as Mary was honest and open about her experiences. The Dream will be realized when ALL members of the community can be listened to and respected.
I agree with you, David. Mary Randolph’s speech made it real… brought it home. Those specific, personal and local stories are so important to tell the younger generations who did not experience what life was like before Martin Luther King’s amazing and courageous movement for Civil Rights. Otherwise, they would never imagine that people could be so cruel—and call it legal.
What King did in his personal life is no different than what other leaders in those and earlier time periods did as well. None of them were innocent or operated under modern times “moral” standards.
Celebrate the accomplishments of King and what he did for our country. I truly believe it is a better place today directly due to his contributions. We still have a long ways to go but progress has been made.
The organization “Ben” represents is a racist hate group associated with David Duke. The fact that such garbage still pops up in Loudoun from time to time only demonstrates how important Dr. King’s legacy is, not only as history, but as a moral compass for our community now. It is the truest expression of patriotism.
Yesterday’s program was magnificent, especially Mary Randolph’s powerful testimony of growing up in Leesburg. We can learn from the past.
George Washington is and always will be the greatest President.
Thanks Ben for the post. If Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, he would be a disgrace for his actions with women. Just another “fallen” preacher.
Step aside, Ben. Get out of the new world if you can’t understand. Martin Luther King was one of the greatest leaders this country has ever seen. Nothing you can say will ever change that.
That is completely and utterly inappropriate, “Ben”. None of us is perfect and we all live in glass houses.
Even if Dr. King strayed from virtue in his personal life, he was an inspirational leader in his public one. He stood for racial and economic justice, for equality and for peace. His speech at the Lincoln memorial and his letter from the Birmingham Jail are crucial signposts in this nation’s march for democracy.
We shall not forget, and we shall overcome some day.
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