Jan. 17, 2011
RUSTON - Players and coaches from the Louisiana Tech Lady Techster basketball team joined other members from around the Lincoln Parish community Monday morning by participating in a Unity March honoring the memory and works of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, her coaching staff and the Lady Techster players were among a few hundred individuals from various backgrounds, age groups, cultures and races that participated in the Ruston event, singing songs and holding signs as they were escorted by local law enforcement on their route.
"Dr. King was a fighting man," Weatherspoon said. "He was a man who stood for something. We all can truly be thankful that he had a dream and a vision. He was a man who fought for every one of all colors. That's the very reason you heard him say, `Injustice anywhere is a disservice to justice everywhere.'
"That means a great deal to all of us; standing for something at all costs. He did that even when there was personal consequence involved. That's a lesson we can all learn from. Today we march to honor the man and his mission."
As the various service groups, church organizations, area businesses, university organizations and individuals set off from the Thomas Assembly Center parking lot for the march, which took them along Alabama Avenue to the Ruston Civic Center, those in the crowd couldn't help but remember the man they honored.
"It just shows that hard work pays off in the long run," said Tech senior Tarkeisha Wysinger-Mackey. "Today people should remind their kids that they can be anything they want to be. I know I'm (at Louisiana Tech) on a basketball scholarship, but it just proves you can be a doctor, a lawyer, anything you want to be. That's what Martin Luther King Day means to me."
Members of the Lady Techster basketball team served as banner holders leading the procession during the 25-minute walk to the Ruston Civic Center. Upon arriving at the Ruston Civic Center, the marchers then joined hundreds of more members of the community for the ninth annual Martin Luther King Day Ecumenical Observance.
"Martin Luther King Day to me is a time we can all come together and rejoice," said senior forward Adrienne Johnson. "Martin Luther King was a great leader. He fought hard for our rights. He fought hard to end segregation and discrimination."
Weatherspoon and the Lady Techsters will return to action Thursday night when they host Utah State at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
