Martel Harris’ knees were sore and Mary Chase’s back hurt. The two walked in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and parade Monday — called a marade by organizers — from City Park to Civic Center Park. But the two Denverites had gone to almost every march, parade and later marade in the city for decades, and they weren’t going to miss this one.

City Park is two miles from Civic Center Park. The marade, which drew tens of thousands of marchers and observers, shut down portions of Colfax Avenue as it traveled the distance.

Neither complained about the aches, saying the importance of the marade and what it represents outweighed their temporary discomfort.

“[King’s] message is so important, and it’s wonderful to see this community come together the way it does,” Chase said. “You have every age, every race, everything and it is always like that.”

Harris said he was happy to see more diversity in the Colorado Legislature, calling it one of the best and most noticeable changes he’s seen in his 73 years. Representation is important, he said, adding that you lose “a lot of stuff” unless you are an active participant in the world around you.

“That’s what they talked about this morning and that’s what Martin Luther King talked about,” Harris said. “Participation is really the key to it all, otherwise you are in the shadows and you have no voice. Nobody will hear you unless you attend.

Chase described King as “a force,” and said he was much more than a sweet, kind, gentle man.

“Martin Luther King was non violent, but he was also a rebel,” she said. “People kind of forget that.”

Both Chase and Harris participated in other marches. Chase went to the national Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Together they have attended local anti-gun violence marches and pro-teacher marches.

Local leaders and advocacy groups attended the marade as well. Colorado’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had a booth set up near the City Park Martin Luther King Jr. statue. Anaya Robinson and Taylor Pendergrass were working the booth and said while progress has been made, there’s a lot left to be done.

“The work is still happening,” Robinson said. “We have not yet gotten to the point of equity and justice in our country, and remembering the history of the work that’s been done helps propel us into the work that is still necessary.”

Pendergrass said some of the energy and organization that took hold in communities in the wake of George Floyd’s murder has been lost. But events like the marade can serve as a catalyst to reinvigorate those communities.

“There’s nothing that replaces being in a community with other people who are all in the fight for racial justice,” he said. “There’s nothing like being here and seeing this amazing cross section of community that we have.”

Seeing the city rally to City Park before the marade also demonstrated to Robinson that many residents are standing in support of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). And he said that, too, can be a powerful catalyst.

“That community builds intent within all of us to know that we’re not in this work alone, we’re not in this fight alone,” Robinson said.

Another organization present was Kappa Alpha Psi (KAP). Members were easy to spot at City Park, wearing bright red jackets. Dwayne Moore was appreciative of the chance to annually review and identify things that have gone well, but also said it gives a great opportunity to reflect on the things that haven’t gone so well.

Denver’s KAP chapter had much to celebrate, Moore said. Specifically, he pointed to the 25 scholarships the alumni foundation provides as well as housing projects they have worked on. The latest, Kappa Tower 2, opened in 2020 and a third is well on its way to completion.

As for what he’d like to see get better in the coming years, Moore’s request was simple.

“I would like to see a lot of the bias that we have amongst each other go away,” Moore said. “It doesn’t matter what color we are … we’re all human and we should all be judged based off of that and not the color of our skin.”

The marade kicked off just after 11 a.m. Monday. The procession walked past the north side of the State Capitol and was led by many local and state politicians.

Colorado Senator, and former governor, John Hickenlooper joined Mayor Michael B. Hancock and Gov. Jared Polis to deliver remarks before the march. This year’s keynote speaker was Clint Bryant, a respected and long-serving leader in intercollegiate athletics.

A week of events in Aurora scheduled to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. cumulated on Monday with a wreath laying ceremony at the MLK Library branch.

The 37th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration was hosted by Aurora’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and themed “United by the Dream.”

Beginning with an opening ceremony and prayer vigil on Jan. 9, the office partnered with multiple community organizations to host events throughout the week.

Aurora’s Interim Chief of Police Art Acevedo participated in Denver’s annual marade alongside Denver Police Chief of Police Ron Thomas, sharing a photo of the two on Twitter.

“Without MLK, neither one of us would be standing here today leading our respective agencies,” Acevedo wrote.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. He would have been 94 years old Sunday.

Denver Gazette reporter Jessica Gibbs contributed to this story.