FRANKFORT, Ky. — Dozens gathered Tuesday in Frankfort to recognize and reenact a historic moment in the same spot: Martin Luther King Jr.'s march in 1964, which drew 10,000 Kentuckians.
What You Need To Know
- Dozens marched in Kentucky to remember the Freedom March in 1964
- Kentucky State University's choir sang to the crowd on the state Capitol steps
- The original Freedom March led to Kentucky passing the Civil Rights Act of 1966
- Leaders such as Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., also addressed the crowd
Bridgeport Elementary teacher Camille Allen was one of the participants. She said her fifth-graders recently learned about Jackie Robinson, who took part in the original march and broke MLB's color barrier in 1947.
"We've been doing a unit on him about the factors for success and his role breaking the color barrier in baseball," Allen said.
State Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, and civil rights activist Mattie Jones were also among those attending the original march in 1964. During Tuesday's reenactment, they emphasized the pillars of justice, freedom and equality. Kentucky State University's choir also sang to the crowd on the Capitol steps.
“Let's not think we've got it made right now," Jones said. "Let's not think that we are free because we will not be free until all of us are free. It’s not until we all are free that we can truly say, 'We have overcome.'"
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., touted King and countless others' work.
"Years ago, after this march, Kentucky became the first state in the south to sign a Civil Rights Act," Beshear said. "We can do it again ... and if we raise our voices, we can demand that we do it again."
Leaders said while much has changed in 60 years, there's still work to do and history to remember.