Downtown parade honors Martin Luther King Jr.

250 units march or ride in 4-hour-long parade

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hundreds participated and even more watched the 34th annual Martin Luther King Holiday Parade in downtown Jacksonville on Monday.

About 250 different groups were represented in the parade, which streamed down Bay Street from EverBank Field to The Jacksonville Landing for nearly four hours. The groups include local schools, fraternities and sororities, businesses, politicians and more.

IMAGES: 34th annual MLK Day Parade

The annual parade honoring the slain civil rights leader started in the 1980s with only 25 people marching around FSCJ. Organizers said they hope those who attended will feel a sense of unity.

Gov. Rick Scott and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown marched near the front of the parade, and dozens of elected officials and those seeking election in the upcoming city elections also participated.

"There's so many people that come out, they're a lot of fun. It's a great thing to honor MLK. He believes in opportunity for every American," Scott said. 

This year's grand marshal was U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown. 

U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, who was this year's grand marshal, said the rights of black Americans have come a long way, thanks in great part to King's vision and activism.

"MLK taught us one thing: The ballot box is where you demonstrate," Brown said. "I would not be here if it wasn't for the 1965 Voting Rights Act and MLK and all of the other leaders in the community."

Parade organizers said they hope people who attened the parade felt a sense of unity with the Jacksonville community.

Following the parade, the celebration continued at the Jacksonville Landing with music and entertainment for families. Rep. Brown delivered the keynote speech, and Ron Davis, the father of murder victim Jordan Davis, also address the crowd.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation hosts the annual parade. Organizers said they are preparing to make next year's parade bigger and better.