Baltimore’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. holiday parade is back on after a course reversal from Mayor Catherine Pugh. The mayor had announced plans earlier this week to do away with the parade and replace it with a day of service instead.
That decision drew a backlash of sharp criticism from the public. WEAA talk show host Farajii Muhammad, said he heard a number of them Tuesday during his show For the Culture. “There were a lot of people that had expressed their disappointment and great concern about the whole situation in looking at the legacy and future of black cultural events here in Baltimore,” said Muhammad. “So, for her to make decision where some folks may say says [Mayor Pugh] really didn’t get the full input of the community on such a beloved tradition is something that struck a chord with a lot of people. I’m glad that we were able to tap in and connect with our listeners and provide platform for them to be heard---and I’m glad that the mayor listened.”
Mayor Pugh phoned in to WEAA’s “Mornings with Mykel” to discuss her decision to keep the parade in place and observe a day of service. Just as the question she posed on Twitter Tuesday night: “Why not do both?”
“They’re people who are willing to do both and some people will do one or the other, “said Pugh. “ But, it all works in the best interest of the city. I tell people the spirit of Martin Luther King—let’s learn to love and not hate. He was a man of peace and bringing folks together and these are two things that will help us to continue to move our city forward.”
In musing her reversal of thought, Pugh asked, what better day, than the Martin Luther King birthday parade/day of service? We’ll do our battle of the bands another time, she said.
There were other frustrations that boiled over on For the Culture with Farajii Muhammad. “I think people really took offense on the first decision [to end the MLK parade]—because now that [Baltimore City] doesn’t have the three day heritage festival, AFRAM, said Muhammad. And now, this. People really felt like, the black cultural scene is under attack from the mayor’s office. So, but you know that it’s good the mayor’s decided to reverse action, and that, you know, she’s listening. I think that’s very important for the community to seize and celebrate this moment---because this was something the community wanted. There were many people [who called the show] talking about posting a protest right there in front of City Hall.”