Members of the community marched down Washington Street to South Lawrence Street Sunday in Charles Town as part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Trail March, sponsored by the Jefferson County chapter of the NAACP, which was followed by a program at the Betty Roper Auditorium at Wright Denny Intermediate School.
By Erika Elaine Wells
The Journal
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. – The lyrics to the African-American protest song “We Shall Overcome” filled the streets of one local city as people of all ages and backgrounds sang while marching in memory of a civil rights leader.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Trail March, sponsored by the Jefferson County Chapter of the NAACP, took place Sunday in Charles Town. The event is held the Sunday before civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Jan. 15, said George Rutherford, president of the Jefferson County Chapter of the NAACP. This theme of this year’s commemoration was “Crossing bridges to a just society-One heart at a time.”
“Dr. King’s vision and commitment to nonviolence was not only a statement about the meaning of Christianity, but about nonviolence as a practical means for achieving peace and justice not only for African-Americans, but for all people of all persuasions and covering the entire spectrum of social and international issues,” said Charles Town City Councilman Rich Bringewatt.
Churches, organizations and schools were invited to take place in the tradition that began in the 1970s. Participants met at the Old Charles Town Library and marched down Washington Street to South Lawrence Street, and then to the Betty Roper Auditorium at Wright Denny Intermediate School on Congress Street for a program…
