Sarasota's community walks together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

By Ian Swaby
| 4:30 p.m. January 20, 2025

This year's honorees were Eula T. Bacon, program director of Bridges to Educational Excellence Learning Center; Dr. Vida Farhangi, medical director of Sarasota Memorial Internal Medicine in Newtown; Dannie Frazier Brown, retired educator and co-founder of the Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee; Mary Butler, president of the Amaryllis Park neighborhood association; and Thomas Fairley, executive director of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross.

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Lou Murray, a follower of Martin Luther King Jr., was drafted into the Vietnam War at the time he was marching for King's causes.

"I was in combat, and so when I got back home, I was in Atlanta, and the first time I saw his gravesite... I broke out and cried and couldn't stop crying, because I didn't realize that I hadn't mourned."

For Murray, the time of Martin Luther King Jr. Day brought to mind the idea of furthering King's dream of taking his people to the "Promised Land."

"We got to take his dreams to the next level, and also, things look kind of grim now because of what's going on politically," he said. "This is the time to do it... Just like God gave Moses everything he needed to take his people to the Promised Land, my people have all they need to take their people to the Promised Land."

The day's celebrations began with a memorial breakfast and awards ceremony at Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, which recognized individuals for their contributions to Sarasota's Black community.

Nominee Mary Butler of the Amaryllis Park Neighborhood Association called receiving the recognition "awesome."

"I like to say, 'I am the dream,' because (King) talked about that, and so, 60 years later, this is the dream, it is happening; it really is happening, and so I am a part of it," she said. "It makes it so cool, and so special."

The ceremony was followed by a unity march ending at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, where a celebration featuring food and music was held in conjunction with the MLK Jr. Day Community Health Fair.

Leaders of different faiths came together to celebrate, including Rev. Wesley Tunstall of Sarasota, who led the walk, and Rabbi Stephen Sniderman of Longboat Key.

Stefante Randall, Sandra DiPentima, Ericka Randall and Latricia Gambrell of Lambda Omicron Omega, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., cleaned up the park, then read books to children with Second Chance Last Opportunity, as their Day of Service Project.

Ninth graders Eloni Cheaves and Byreelle Castleberry, and tenth grader Chloe Lopez, walk with the Booker High School cheerleading squad.

The Booker High School JROTC reaches the intersection of North Osprey Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

Lisa Ellis, Judah Testone, 11 and Ellis' son AJ Ellis, 10, march with Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota.

Chief Jason Greene leads the Booker High School JROTC squad.

Myles Davenport, his son Makai Davenport, 3, and grandfather Greg Davenport watch the walk come to an end.

Keith and Chris Spirgel walk with their dog Bodhi.

Former Sarasota mayor Willie Shaw rides a pickup truck at the front of the walk. "I've been a part of this for forty-four years, and each year, it gets better, deeper, as we pass on to the next generation what we have come through," said Shaw, who is part of the event committee. "To see the participation unified here with both Black, white, everybody, working together, it's something that's really needed... not only needed, but most appreciated."

The Booker High School JROTC squad marches along.

Booker High School senior, Corporal Santiago Ruiz, helps lead the JROTC squad.

Kimla Murrell and Shmeeka Murrell-Clove perform with the gospel band Truality.

Dennis Clove performs as part of the gospel band Truality.

Darrell Thompson, who just founded the new business Filet of Soul, cooks up a dish that includes shrimp and okra.

Arian Tobon, 7, dances with his great grandmother Yolanda Bass.

Cornelius Spann, Chris Wagner, Mary O'Connor, manager of healthcare equity with the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System, and Eric Dunn.

Dr. Yusif Addae, president of Gulf Coast Medical Society, which brought together the health and wellness-related vendors at the festival, poses with Dr. Washington Hill, board chair of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition. "For us it is a cardinal event for our community," Addae said. "Martin Luther King spent his life fighting for community unity and that is what we try to do here."

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.