GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)- Monday the nation will honor the legacy of a man who committed his life to end racial injustice.
Sunday a unique celebration was held in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
Folks in Greenville gathered to perform spoken word.
Poet Dove Dupre says to celebrate MLK through his writing is especially significant for him.
Dupre said, “For him to trailblaze in a lot of ways, a lot of boldness, you know he’s been able to encourage and influence a lot of people.”
However, he says writing isn’t going to change the division still in America.
“I think it’s going to take a lot more than events like this and it’s going to take a lot… It’s going to take all hands on deck,” Dupre said.
Community activist Derrick Quarles agrees.
Dr. King dreamed of complete unity between races, but Quarles says we still have work to do.
He says, “I think that we have gotten a little bit closer, and I thought we’d gotten a little bit closer to that, but from what we’ve seen, especially with the riot at The Capitol. There are way more people who still live in this bubble.”
Adding the next step America needs to take is action.
“We’ve had enough conversations around equity and equality, social justice and I think now we have to move into the stage of putting our actions behind our thoughts,” Quarles said.
There may not be as many in-person MLK events this year due to the pandemic, however, there are other ways to celebrate his life.
One being donating to an organization that stands up for what he believed in.