Murfreesboro marches in celebration of MLK on street named in his honor

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WSMV) - For the first time since it was renamed, nearly 1,000 people marched on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in celebration of the civil rights hero’s birthday on Monday.

The street name was changed from Mercury Boulevard in 2021, but snow prompted the cancellation of last year’s MLK march, so this was the first time marchers could celebrate on the road named in his honor.

Christina Moody, youth director with Smithfork District Association, a collaboration of churches in Rutherford County, have made the annual march a tradition.

Their group of adults and children brought homemade signs, many with quotes and pictures of King.

“They’re out of school, but they’re out here participating,” Moody said. “That’s good to see everybody coming together, no matter your color, whatever. We’re all coming together as one.”

A.J. Wilcox, a high school student, could be seen carrying a sign toward the front of Monday’s march.

“He was there when nobody was helping us fight for our rights. He was the one fighting for our rights,” Wilcox said. “Nobody is better or worse, we’re all the same person in this community.”

Monday’s march started at Central Magnet School on Main Street and finished 1.5 miles later at Patterson Park Community Center.

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