![Over 600 W&L community members and Lexington
locals gathered for the annual Marthin Luther King
Jr. parade despite snow and freezing temperatures.](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MLK-parade-abby-kim-26-2-1200x901.jpg)
Hundreds braved snow for Lexington’s MLK parade
CARE Rockbridge’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade was started as a peaceful response to Lee-Jackson Day celebrations
![The Lee-Jackson Day parade was held on Jan. 13 in downtown Lexington.](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-21-at-2.21.11-PM-1200x622.jpeg)
Conflicting legacies: a closer look at Lexington’s dual celebrations
Lee-Jackson Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day are recognized in Lexington just days apart — evoking reactions from the community
![Keisha Lance Bottoms says MLK’s legacy lives on](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bottoms-600x400-1-e1705947412320.jpg)
Keisha Lance Bottoms says MLK’s legacy lives on
The former Atlanta mayor served as the keynote speaker for W&L’s week of Martin Luther King Jr. programming
![A crowd of people stand in a circle holding flashlights and signs. Behind them are lit up buildings with tall columns.](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AE46AF7B-F1C8-48A5-81F7-256DDAE2C31C-900x675.jpg)
Students protest University Chapel speaker in lead-up to MLK Day
Over 100 students staged a silent walkout during a speech by Rodney Mims Cook Jr., '78, honoring Robert E. Lee
![A group of people carrying Confederate flags and symbols are assembled in a cemetery.](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AnyConv.com__IMG_9149-900x675.jpg)
Local MLK and Lee-Jackson Day festivities clash
Both parades in downtown Lexington boasted the largest crowds they've seen since 2020
![A crowd of people sit and look at a person speaking at a podium. They are all in a large room with a high ceiling.](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/MLKreflections-900x498.jpg)
‘Sing a song of hope’: W&L honors MLK with reflection on the past, focus on the future
Students and community members learned and celebrated through a week of programming
![A Black man in a suit and tie gestures as he speaks.](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Ben-Crump-e1674497969182-900x671.jpg)
Civil rights attorney discusses MLK’s legacy
Ben Crump emphasizes the importance of addressing injustice wherever it is found
![Salaam signs copies of his most recent book “Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice” while meeting students, faculty and community members who attended his talk. Photo by Grace Mamon, ’22](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2022-02-01-at-8.06.38-PM.png)
Yusef Salaam calls for more political participation to end systemic racism
Salaam spoke about his unjust conviction as part of the Central Park Five and his refusal to give into the narratives police and media had defined for him
![Members of Washington and Lee’s Chanoyu Tea Society prepare matcha tea to serve at their MLK Day ceremony. The event was part of a larger slate of activites the univeristy held in honor of MLK. Photo by Janet Ikeda Yuba.](https://ringtumphi.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2022-02-01-at-7.59.32-PM-900x676.png)
MLK Day and Lee-Jackson Day celebrations coincide
Different events supporting Lee-Jackson Day and MLK Day struck a contrast over MLK weekend.