Each August, Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes and Ward 8 community and civic activist Stuart Anderson convene a group of volunteers to plan the following year’s MLK Holiday DC activities in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The highlight event is the Peace Walk and Parade, a procession that began in 1979 by Dr. Calvin Rolark, Barnes’ father and founder of The Informer, her stepmother, D.C. Council member Wilhelmina Rolark (D-Ward 8) and media personality Ralph “Petey” Greene. One of the purposes of the parade was to honor King’s legacy and show support for a congressional bill setting aside the slain civil rights leader’s birthday as a federal holiday.
Since that time, the parade has taken place on the third Monday in January, the designated holiday to celebrate King’s life and legacy. However, in August, Anderson and the parade team were faced with a dilemma.
“January 20, 2025, is King’s holiday and Inauguration Day for the president,” said Anderson, 63, in an interview with The Informer. “We thought that Kamala Harris was going to win. We didn’t want to interfere with her being sworn in [as president]. So, we decided to move the parade to the Saturday before, on Jan. 18.”
That wasn’t the only change. Due to the inauguration of Donald Trump as the country’s next chief executive on Jan. 20, there were heightened concerns regarding security on the federal and District levels.
As a result, law enforcement personnel were needed to protect the presidential party, members of Congress and federal officials as well as the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the nation’s capital. In response to a possible reduction in available law enforcement and security personnel needed to cover parade activities, the committee decided to alter the route.
“We usually march up and down Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue,” said Anderson. “This year, we decided the parade will take place on the St. Elizabeths East campus at the Entertainment Sports Arena.”
The Peace Walk
The Peace Walk was conceived a number of years ago to put a spotlight on fighting violence and homicides in the District’s Black neighborhoods, primarily those located east of the Anacostia River.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, 50 people gathered in Shepherd Park in Ward 8, which is at the intersection of Malcolm X and King Avenues in Southeast. A District Department of Parks and Recreation stage colored in white, and green was posted in the middle of the park.
The temperature was a reported 31 degrees and people wore hats, baseball caps, gloves, hoodies, and coats to warm themselves. One of the onlookers was Charlene Walker, who attended the event with a friend.
“I am from Seattle,” Walker, 35, said. “I am here visiting friends and decided to support the event.”
Ward 8A05 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Jamila White talked about the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama march for civil rights. White said Black children left school to protest for civil rights but were met by the police with water hoses and dogs.
White praised the children for their courage and noted that changes in Birmingham immediately took place after the march. She also said there is a sense of fear in the air with the new Trump administration about to take power.
“People are afraid of what’s coming but I am hopeful,” she said.
Cydney Roberts, who serves as the youth council chair for the District, spoke about the power of Black women, in concert with the theme of the parade uplifting women of color.
“It is time for the country to see Black women for who they are,” said Roberts, 17, and a senior at Washington Latin Public Charter School in Northwest. “There is a perception of the Black woman being sassy and angry, but they ignore the complexity. Black women’ emotional well-being must be respected.”
Dionne Bussey-Reeder, a food entrepreneur and political activist, said African Americans must do three things to improve themselves and their community.
“We have to love harder,” she said. “We need to spend our money differently. Why do we spend money in other neighborhoods when we have businesses here that need us? We must save differently. We need to put away some of everything we earn.”
The Parade
After the rally, the participants lined up at the intersection of King and Malcolm X Avenues and marched north toward the St. Elizabeths campus. When they reached St. Elizabeths, they walked past participating bands and organizations on their way to the back of the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
After the Peace Walkers marched by, another change occurred. Usually, the Ballou High School marching band comes at the end of the parade.
However, due to band members complaining that they didn’t have the chance to observe the parade, the committee accommodated them by placing them at the front of the procession.
On the floor of the arena, a viewing stand was set up for the parade leaders and community notables. The grand marshals of the parade were noted District Black women such as former D.C. Councilmembers Yvette Alexander, LaRuby May, Edye Whittington, and Sandy Allen, as well as former D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt.
On the stage were Bowser, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D), D.C. Councilmembers Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), Robert White (D-At Large), Matt Frumin (D-Ward 3) and Wendell Felder (D-Ward 7) and D.C. State Board of Education members Jacque Patterson (At Large), LaJoy Johnson Law (Ward 8) and student member Calique Barnes.
Members of fraternal organizations such as Prince Hall Masons, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.(of which King was a member), Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. participated in the march along with the bands and music groups of charter and public schools.
Mikael LaRoche, the president of the Mu Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha sat in the stands to watch the parade.
“The legacy and the impact of our dear brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., extends way beyond the communities we serve in the U.S.,” LaRoche, 37, said. “The parade and peace walk will continue to give a place for us as an African American community an opportunity to remember and share the value of his work.”