In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and political activism, the communities of Leander and Cedar Park joined together yesterday in a march and festival. Public Arts an Culture Commission board member and event planner Keysha Bradford said Cedar Park’s public officials recognized the success and excitement around Leander’s previous MLK festivals and the two cities worked to incorporate themselves.
“It’s amazing to watch how much it’s grown from a few thousand people into this,” Bradford said. “Now that we’ve added Cedar Park into the mix, I’m just so excited to open it up to a bigger audience to talk about Dr. King’s life and legacy. And when you don’t discuss history, things that happened in the past are destined to happen again in the future. That’s part of why I plan these events.”
In the vacancy left by previous mayor, Christine Delisle, adjunct mayor Na’Cole Thompson campaigns for her election into the position, with polls closing Feb. 7. She maintained, however, that her presence at the festival was not to help her campaign.
“We started [planning these events] back in 2021,” Thompson said. “We had a planning group come together and we decided to do this because we saw that there was a need to bring our community together. And we wanted a community event to encourage people, to share unity, to be together, to support one another and to get to know somebody who looks different, maybe believes different, lives different than you. That’s the reason we started this event and the reason we continue to do it.”
The push to secure a day of celebration in honor of King’s contributions to the civil rights movement was only approved by President Ronald Regan in 1983. Today it is celebrated every third Monday of January and, for some, such as festival-goer Elysee Isles, through rain or shine.
“I have a stress fracture in my leg and the doctor said for me to stay off my feet, but I’ll be darned if I’m not gonna come out here because this is truly deserving,” Isles said. “It’s important to celebrate because of the fight. What we went through is what people don’t seem to understand– it’s like a given now to new generations. We need to understand the true meaning behind us finally being able to have a holiday to celebrate Dr. King. We nee to know what he did, what he represented and what others do too.”
The annual festival began at the grassroots in 2021 and has since grown to include dozens of vendors, food trucks and performers. The event is paid for by funds from the city and set up by the Arts and Culture Commission.
“People like to show up because city of Leander has had four previous, very successful [MLK festivals] and Juneteenth celebrations too,” Bradford said. “The word gets out and people think it’s fun to come here. They like to in that moment and in the legacy of Dr. King.”
Performers, poets, painters and essay contestants celebrated King’s life and a legacy intertwined in American history.
“I graduated in 1974 and I remember how they marched for Dr. King and for us to have a holiday,” Isles said. “I remember those days and watching the marches. We need to know our history, because history can repeat itself. I don’t care how cold it is– we’re complaining constantly, ‘I’m tired, I’m tired.’ They were tired, too. I just thank God for Dr. King and all of those that were with him and those that are still fighting the same fight today.”
