North Redland community marches to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - In Nacogdoches County, ‘North Redland’ set an example of what Martin Luther King wanted for all communities.

For decades, residents there have conducted MLK observances.

The rest of the year they put his message to work.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a quantitative change in our souls as well as quantitative change in our lives.”

The words were seen in action as handshakes, prayers, and a Black Lives Matter sign was carried.

One woman bonded the group by breaking out in song, Let It Shine.

In North Redland Community, around Mahl off Highway 259, community means a relationship. In many cases by kinship. In all cases by kindness.

“We like to be tight,” said Oneal Harris, a longtime North Redland resident. “We help one another. When one is down, the other tries to pick up another. And we all try to get along.”

Pat Veal and members of the North Redland Sistahs (a spelling the ladies proudly use) organize the annual event that’s been happening for decades.

The march is less than a mile. But with each step comes a commitment to serve all year long.

“We raise money for sick people. We have yard signs that say this yard is a beautiful yard. We do all kinds of different things. We have National Night Out for our community,” said Veal.

Rev. King called it, ‘The love of God working in the lives of men.’

At the destination, the Mt. Zionia Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, listeners heard Rev. King’s lesson, work comes easier thru unity.

Rev. James Roberts, Pastor at Mt. Zionia C.M.E. Church, said in prayer, “He wanted all of us to be together.”

North Redland Community promises to teach the little children to carry on Rev. King’s legacy on the land passed down from one generation to the next.

Mt. Zionia C.M.E. Church was founded in 1892 and invites anyone to their Sunday services.

Copyright 2022 KTRE. All rights reserved.