Photos from Previous Marches and Services

Annual Peace March

Every year since 1988 on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the UUSR holds its annual Peace March commemorating his life, as he embodied many of the same social justice values that Unitarian Universalists hold dear. Members and friends gather at 9:30 am for sign making, followed by a march through downtown Rockport at 10:00 am. All gather after the march for hot cider and goodies, followed by a short worship service led by our minister.

About Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.  He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.  King is often presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism.

A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career.  He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president.  King’s efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.  There, he expanded American values to include the vision of a color blind society, and established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.

In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means.  By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.  He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia