Members of the Middle Georgia chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, including several Mercer students, took part in a march celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at Hardy Ivy Park in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
The presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has compared himself to King in terms of crowd turnout at rallies and speeches, fell on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year. The overlap has sparked controversy given President Trump’s promises to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“This march is really our first big event,” Julie Rosa Colton '28, a member of Middle Georgia DSA said.
Julie Colton '28, a member of the Middle Georgia Democratic Socialists of America, poses for a picture during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in Atlanta. Colton is the intended president of a developing organization on Mercer's campus in assocation with the Middle Georgia DSA.
“We got eight people to come up here [from Macon] and show solidarity with the Atlanta DSA and I’m looking forward to doing more like this," Colton said.
The march started at Hardy Ivy Park and ended at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King preached for eight years. The Middle Georgia DSA was joined by other activist groups including Amazon Teamsters and DSA groups from across the state to remember King’s legacy and protest President Trump’s inauguration.
“MLK Day is a day of remembrance, but also a day to see the progress that we’ve made and to keep striving for civil rights,” Lu Borgia '28, a member of Middle Georgia DSA, said.
A Mercer student organization affiliated with the Middle Georgia DSA is currently in development.
Anyone with questions about the Middle Georgia DSA can contact the organization at midgadsa@gmail.com.
Patrick Hobbs '28 is a psychology and journalism double major and first-year staff writer for the Cluster. When Patrick is not studying, he enjoys writing, singing in the Women’s Chamber choir, acting and spending time with friends.
