(Columbia) Jan. 17, 2005 - About 2000 people
gathered at the State House on Monday to honor Martin
Luther King, Junior.
The annual "King Day at the Dome March and Rally for
Education and Justice" focused on fighting for equitable
funding in education in South Carolina
Dennis Courtland Hayes, the acting head of the NAACP,
challenged South Carolinians to demand state leaders
address the achievement gap between minorities and their
white peers. Courtland says the NAACP has asked Governor
Mark Sanford to submit a plan to the group by this
summer addressing equal funding in schools.
Nearly 20 educators, community, religious and civil
rights leaders spoke to the crowd. Many continued the
call for the removal of the Confederate flag from
Capitol grounds. Bishop John Hurst Adams says the flag
represents slavery and white supremacy.
Simone Young, 23, took note of a dozen or so
Confederate flag supporters that were across the street,
"Flush the NAACP. How can you say that when it's helping
higher education. It's helping black kids, white
kids."
Larry Salley supports keeping the flag on the State
House grounds, "By attacking the flag they are creating
the division not us."
Young and her friends says the march is more than the
flag, "If they actually listened to the message they'd
realize that it is not about the flag."
Salley says you don't have to take his word for it,
"If you don't think this thing is about the flag, then
read their signs, because there are plenty over
there."
The flag signs were overshadowed by yellow signs that
targeted education. Speakers pointed to what they call a
difference between a city education and a rural one.
The federal holiday honoring King is on the third
Monday of January. The holiday is marked by all 50
states. Federal, state and county offices are closed for
the holiday.
The rally began at Zion Baptist Church on
Washington Street in Columbia at
9:30am and ended at the state capitol for a
rally that started at 10:30am.
The Columbia Urban League sponsored at
"Keeping the Legacy Alive" breakfast at Bellsouth's
Williams Street Auditorium. US Senator Lindsey
Graham told attendees the problems in South
Carolina are not because of government oppression. He
says many of the problems exist because of a lack of
hope. He says there is still much work to be done to
build economic opportunity in poor communities.
The City of Columbia and the Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial Foundation Committee also held its annual
celebration at Martin Luther King park.
A Martin Luther King Gospel Fest took place at the
Koger Center Monday evening. The show featured Doc
McKenzie and the Gospel Hi-Lites along with the New Life
Beulah Baptist Church Gospel Choir of Hopkins and USC's
Touch of Faith.
In Greenville, the Reverend
Jesse Jackson and about 500 others marched Saturday
to rally for a county holiday honoring King. Greenville
County is the only county in South Carolina without a
holiday to honor the slain civil rights leader.
Reported by Kara
Gormley
Updated 6:42pm by Chris Rees with
AP
