Virgin Islanders honor King's legacy of activism, non-violence with annual march and rally

ST. THOMAS — Girl scouts chanted, tubas blared, and members of Greek-letter organizations called out in camaraderie. The energy was palpable as hundreds of individuals moved along Main Street to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday at the annual MLK Peace March held by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Theta Epsilon Lambda Chapter.

The march, which ended at Emancipation Garden was followed by a brief ceremony. On St. Croix, students from public, private and parochial schools as well as members of fraternities and sororities, collectively referred to as the Divine 9, took part in the annual MLK March and Rally. The group marched from Sion Farm Commercial Center to Island Center for the Performing Arts where a brief ceremony was held.

Among the marchers on St. Thomas was Ulric “Irari” Ferrari, donning a face mask fashioned into the likeness of the iconic civil rights leader who became a symbol of justice throughout the world. Dressed in all black and a slightly tilted hat, the calypsonian held up an “I Have A Dream” sign as he made his way through the crowd.

“With his non-violent speeches, he helped us with self-confidence, courage, boldness, and strength and to fight the good fight of faith, also how to help our neighbors and those in need,” Ferrari said, adding that King was one of the heroes for all of his classmates in the 1960s attending Charlotte Amalie High School.