The 42nd Annual Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Original KingFest MLK Marade/Parade brought the community together Monday to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event, which included a downtown parade and a youth program, was held under the theme “Remembering Their Names Matters.”
Retired Simmons First National Corp. Chairman J. Thomas “Tommy” May served as the grand marshal for the day’s events. The procession, which included churches, social clubs, civic organizations, schools and elected officials, kicked off from Third Avenue and Walnut Street. A central focus for this year’s event was the encouragement of families of homicide victims to march as special guests, aligning with the commemorative theme.
The Rev. Jesse Turner, executive director of PBICVR, emphasized the deeper significance of the tradition, which has evolved into the longest-running KingFest Celebration of its kind.
“The significance of it is unity. This is where we bring people together, people coming together to celebrate Dr. King in a nonviolent way,” Turner said. He stressed that the event has always been about more than just a single day, focusing on King’s emphasis on “education, economic development, and young people.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Turner also noted a striking moment during the march, where participants crossed an overpass that evoked the powerful image of the the historic march in Selma, Ala., during the Civil Rights Movement.
The afternoon included the Youth Educational/Entertainment Program featuring moving speeches and performances from local students, many of whom addressed the devastating impact of gun violence in their community. The young men of the Watson Chapel Wildcat Society Gentlemen’s Club presented poems and thoughts that offered raw testimonials about the cost of violence.
Student DeMario Douglas implored the community to choose conversation over conflict.
“A life is priceless, and it can’t be repaid … the price is too high for gun violence. People being afraid to have fun … why not build a community of love, support and comfort instead of one of fatherless homes, bad influences and a lot of crime?” he said.
Another presenter, Jyrel Maxwell, echoed the same sentiments. “The price is too high for gun violence, bright futures abruptly ended, caused by bad decisions,” he said.
Jhanefan Campbell delivered a particularly poignant poem about a man named “Jack” who was killed for cash, leaving his child to deal with the trauma. Campbell lamented the subsequent reality for the victims’ children.
“Leaving his boys as traumatized, humans unable to grieve, and then they turned to the streets, and in the streets, the cycle repeats,” he read.
Mo Almansouri, drawing on his personal experience, delivered a powerful message of unity against violence.
The program concluded with a nonviolence pledge and the presentation of awards, including the Best Poster Trophies, donated by the Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and the Lorenzo Smith Band Award, which was given to the Pine Bluff High School Band.
The awards, donated by the Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. were presented as follows:
First place: Kappa League
Second place: Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.
Third place: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
“This is where we bring people together, people coming together to celebrate Dr. King in a nonviolent way,” Turner said, concluding that the celebration is a year-round commitment to King’s broader mission.
“KingFest was always about who Martin Luther King was. He was concerned about education. He was concerned about economic development. He was concerned about young people,” Turner said. “By highlighting the devastating impact of gun violence through the voices of its youth, Pine Bluff’s KingFest continues to promote the civil rights leader’s legacy by fostering a community-wide conversation around peace and progress for the next generation.”
