The AllEyesOnDC Show kicked off the New Year with a visit from Denise Rolark Barnes and Stuart Anderson, co-chairs of the annual Dr. King Peace Walk & Parade, an event of historical significance for the Ward 8 community that’s withstood the test of time, much unlike its counterpart, Georgia Avenue Day/Caribbean Parade.

While this program touched on various aspects of the peace walk and parade, one part that stood out the most to this grassroots journalist concerned the transfer of knowledge between elders and young people, some of whom can’t appreciate the significance of the Civil Rights era. In that regard, the Dr. King Peace Walk & Parade planning committee, comprised of more than 70 people and organizations, facilitated that process with an essay contest, hosted by the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute, that allowed youth to weigh in on the issue of voting rights from 16 and 17-year-old D.C. residents.

On another front, this January 18 gathering at Sankofa Video Books & Cafe, just days before the parade took place, provided the opportunity for discussion about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and how his nonviolent strategy has been used, to a certain degree, by segments of Black Nationalist/Pan-African community to dismiss his impact. For those who took part in the dialogue, these conditions spoke to the need for education and transfer of knowledge about the civil rights struggle.

Not much more to say but to please watch the video and provide your thoughts in the comments.