Tyler Observes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

TYLER — Tylerites Monday celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an annual downtown event. Guest speaker was Rev. Frances Cudjoe Waters of Dallas. She told KTBB, “We come here to celebrate the legacy and life and the justice that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for. But it’s important to remember that we must continue that legacy ourselves. So the real question of how we celebrate today is not so much what was done in the past, but what we will be motivated to do in the future.”

Asked about honoring King’s legacy during often tumultuous times, Waters said, “Those of us who want civility and justice to prevail have to be actively engaged in civil discourse, in public dialogue — and really leading the way in modeling how that can happen.” Waters is a nationally known speaker, minister, and expert on parenting and education planning. The Tyler Together Race Relations Forum puts on the event each year.