ITS 15TH MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
HOLIDAY.
>> THOSE CELEBRATIONS WERE HARD
FOUGHT. OUR PAIGE HOPKINS DUG
INTO THE HISTORY OF M-L-K DAY IN
GREENVILLE COUNTY.
>> 17 YEARS AGO AND REALLY EVEN
BEFORE THAT EVERY TWO WEEKS
REVEREND JESSE JACKSON AND
DOZENS OF OTHERS MET HERE AT
GREENVILLE COUNTY SQUARE
ADVOCATING FOR A HOLIDAY THE
REST OF THE COUNTRY ALREADY
CELEBRATED. THEY WANTED MARTIN
LUTHER KING DAY ON THE COUNTY
CALENDAR.
>> THE BATTLE WAS LONG.
>> IT MADE ME SAD THAT WE HAD TO
DO SO MUCH FOR A SIMPLE HOLIDAY.
IT WAS NOT EASY YALL.
 
 
 
 
IT INCLUDED SLEEP-INS
 
 
 
 
WE SAID WE WONT LEAVE UNTIL
WE’RE HEARD. AND WE STAYED THERE
ALL NIGHT.
MARCHES
>> WE BROUGHT FOLK IN OUT OF THE
STATE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY
.SHINING THE LIGHT ON GREENVILLE
COUNTY.
>> AND COUNTLESS COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETINGS ALL TO RECOGNIZE A MAN
WHO CHANGED AMERICA AND
SPECIFICALLY THE SOUTH.
>> THE WHITE PEOPLE BENEFITED
MORE BECAUSE THE BUSINESS AND
INDUSTRY THAT CAME HERE WAS BY
IN LARGE OWNED BY THEM. AND SO
IT FREED AMERICA. NOT JUST BLACK
PEOPLE BUT WHITE PEOPLE AS WELL.
>> WHILE MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
WAS CELEBRATED FOR THE FIRST
TIME ON A FEDERAL LEVEL IN 1986
IN 2003 GREENVILLE COUNTY
ACTIVISTS WERE STILL FIGHTING
FOR THE COUNTY TO RECOGNIZE THE
HOLIDAY.
>> THEY JUST KEPT PROPOSING IT
YEAR AFTER YEAR AND YEAR AFTER
YEAR IT WOULD FAIL.
>> FOR GREENVILLE COUNTY
ACTIVISTS THOSE FAILURES WERE
FUEL THAT DROVE THEM TO THE
COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO OPPOSED THE
HOLIDAY.
>> A LARGE BODY OF AFRICAN
AMERICANS AND PEOPLE WHO WANTED
THE HOLIDAY VOTED IN THE
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. AND IT’S A
GOOD WORD FOR 2020.
>> IN 2005 COUNTY COUNCIL
APPROVED MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
DAY AS A PAID COUNTY HOLIDAY IN
2006 IT WAS CELEBRATED FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
>> IT’S JUST A MATTER OF HAVING
THE RIGHT IDEA. YOU CANT TAKE NO
FOR AN ANSWER YOU JUST KEEP
GOING. THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES AND
I DON’T MIND DOING IT. THE FIGHT
GOES ON
