Lumberton Prepares for Sixth Annual MLK Day Parade on Jan. 31

Eshonda Hooper will host her sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade on Jan. 31 in Lumberton. Organizers expect this year's march to be the biggest one yet. The celebration starts at noon at W. H. Knuckles Elementary School, winds through downtown, then circles back to where it began.

Hooper has put together service events honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day for over a decade. She launched the march after sensing a need to create something that would bring people together in her town.

"I'm a woman of faith, and God dropped in my spirit, going, 'We don't have a parade for MLK Day; we don't have like a movement, a walk, just something where we can join together,' and I started doing my research," Hooper said, according to The Robesonian.

This year brings new changes. Hooper plans to expand access by partnering with the city to set up bleachers near Turner Terrace and chairs near the Mohr Plaza housing area.

"We have a lot of senior citizens that want to be at the parade and watch, but they can't stand that long, and we couldn't provide seating before," said Hooper.

A Facebook livestream will broadcast the festivities for those who can't make it in person. Hooper welcomes anyone interested to reach out, whether they're from Lumberton, Robeson County, or farther away.

"This is a passion for me," said Hooper. "It's like my baby. I do a lot of other community events in Robeson County throughout the year, and I love them, but this movement really feels like we're bringing all people together. It makes my heart so happy."

The parade grows bigger each year. Hooper thinks the event honors the unity that the MLK Day holiday stands for.