Hundreds attended Gainesville's Martin Luther King Jr. parade Monday in honor of the civil rights leader. The crowd marched down University Avenue as King and his followers marched for equality in Washington in 1963.
Father Roland Julien has been participating in the annual parade for years and believes that the message of equality should continue today.
Julien said he believes the day's inauguration of President Barack Obama was a big step in achieving Dr. King's ultimate goal of equal rights among all people.
The parade wasn't the only event marking the holiday. Ryan Sappenfield, 21, and his fraternity brothers took part in a volunteer effort beforehand.
Sappenfield said the main message to get out of this holiday and the parade is the concept of unity. He said he believes that people should come together and forget about their differences.
Cassandra Ganter edited this story online.