Atmore residents turned out in droves Monday morning for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade and many in the crowd followed the floats to their final destination at Escambia County High School for this year’s community celebration.

During this year’s program, bands from both ECHS and Escambia County Middle Preparatory School performed and this year’s MLK Queen, fifth grader Dominae’ Duwhite, was introduced to the audience.

In addition to the musical performances, the crowd was also treated to a reading of King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, read by Dr. Bernard Bishop. The service also featured keynote speaker, the Rev. Warrick Eugene Mays, vice principal of ECMPS, who spoke to the audience about the importance of overcoming adversity.

Although Monday was a busy day for those honoring King’s memory, it was not the first day of celebration in the Atmore area. Saturday morning, a crowd gathered at the Freemanville Head Start building for a prayer breakfast, where local ministers led special prayers and Duwhite was officially named this year’s MLK Queen.

The festivities continued on Sunday, as Liberty Missionary Baptist Church hosted the 27th observance of the holiday at 3 p.m. sponsored by the Progressive Civic and Recreational Club. This year’s ceremony featured a sermon by the Rev. Issac Bradley Sr., pastor, songs by the host choir, the “I Have a Dream” speech and songs directed by Willie Grissett.