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Community Corner

MLK Memorial Honored During Dedication

Ceremony held to recognize 17 granite stones and bricks that were placed throughout downtown Leesburg in honor of MLK

Local leaders dedicated 17 granite memorial stones honoring the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr,.in a ceremony was held in front of the Court House Saturday morning.

Each one has been placed periodically along the route in downtown Leesburg, which is organized by the "I Have A Dream" MLK Committee, beginning in front of the Courthouse and ending at the Douglass Community Center, in January.

The Leesburg Town Council approved the project on Oct. 26, at a total cost of slightly more than $2,000 for route designation plaques and bricks.

Committee and Chair member Tammy Carter said the memorials are a great way to bring everyone together in Leesburg, no matter their color or religion.

“It is history in the making,” Carter said. “There's so much animosity with the town and the different backgrounds of people. With it being placed right here, at the Court house, I just think it makes a sign that we're all trying to come together.”

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Mayor Kristen Umstadd said the MLK memorials are critical to the town of Leesburg. The event was a long time coming, she said.

“[The march] goes from the Courthouse where the rights of African Americans to equal education were sanctified and it follows market street up to the Douglass center, which was the school built by our African American residents back in the 40s to ensure that their children could have an education in this county,” Umstadd said. “So it's an important event for us.”

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Alvin Dodson, a committee member for 19 years said he never thought he'd see the day when memorial markers would be placed throughout the town.

“I think it's a great opportunity and when this started I didn't think it was going to happen but I”m so glad it did,” Dodson said. “I don't think there is another town around here that has done something like this and I think it's a great history mark for the Town of Leesburg.”

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