Decades after Death, Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. Inspire Springfield Group

Occupy Springfield remembered dark moments in history and look toward the future

January 15, 2012|Mary Moloney, Jason Crow | KSPR News

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. —

On a blustery day in Springfield, a lone saxophone player stood in Park Central Square. Every note of her sad song represented inequality and injustice. She played her instrument at the site of the city’s most infamous moment.

It was Easter weekend, 1906. An angry mob lynched, burned, and dismembered three African American men. They died without a trial. Over a century later, all that’s left of the act is a small plaque.

Members of the Occupy Springfield movement met in the square to peacefully protest inequality and to remember a man who dreamt of equality.

"We want equality for everybody," said Christopher Didonato of Occupy Springfield. "We are reaffirming his dream to have racial equality, to have economic equality, to have political equality across all over humanity."

Armed with signs and song, the group marched across the Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Bridge.

“His message really lives on today in our hearts too, so we are just trying to get that back,” explained Kelsey Harrigan.

The group walked to the historic City Hall and staged a sit-in.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere. And I think that's probably the best way to put it, is that if we don't speak out, we lose that opportunity. And so we want to make sure that our voices are heard," detailed Didonato.

While the sun set over the Queen City, occupiers wrote their hopes and dreams for the new year on strips of paper and attached them to balloons.

"This is my dream for the New Year; I want something better to happen in our world. And what better way to do that than by honoring a man who fought and died for us. For the people that are less fortunate," explained Didonato.

Their thought is any act could inspire a movement and challenge change. Much like the dreams of Dr. King.

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