VIDEO: Maui March and Remembrance of Dr. King

January 16, 2012, 12:25 PM HST
* Updated January 16, 12:40 PM

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[flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRlHF-1fGOw /] By Wendy Osher

Dozens of marchers gathered at the Stone of Hope Monument fronting the County Building on Maui as part of a remembrance ceremony in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Every year, I come out and I celebrate Martin Luther King Day to refresh the memory, and to also pass it on to future generations–that what he stands for is a valid cause to pursue,” said Adesina Ogunelese, a participant in today’s march and observance.

Stone of Hope monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Maui. Photo by Wendy Osher.

Ogunelese, who was a teen in the 60s, recalled vivid memories of her youth and what she observed on television. “I saw Martin Luther King get shot on TV; I saw the civil rights demonstrators get hosed and eated by dogs, and beat up; and Medgar Evers killed. Martin Luther King Day is very important to me because he stood for the reason that we were out there–to have freedom and equality for all people.”

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The ceremony was led in part by Kahu Alalani Hill who said, “This is the day when we remember his dream, remember his words, and that we are part of his vision; and that we still walk in hope together.”

“We march with them for the rights of every man–whether black or white, yellow or red–for every woman, for every child, for every elder,” said Kahu Hill who also reflected on tomorrow’s anniversary of the day that Hawaii’s last queen was overthrown on January 17, 1893.

In reflecting on the significance of both events, Kahu Hill related the thoughts of both leaders saying, “Queen Liliuokalani said, never cease to fight because you fear you may fail; and Dr. Martin Luther King said it is better to act than be silent.”