Crowds gather in Dallas for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday was commemorated in Dallas with an annual street parade bearing his name.

“It’s Martin Luther King Day,” parade participant Dena Ellis said with a smile. “I go out every year.”

Ellis had a front row seat with her family near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Blvd.

“They should always know their origin story,” Ellis said.

About 250 organizations, including youth groups, cheerleaders and politicians, took part in the parade this year.

Antonio Trigg brought his young children to the parade.

“Let them see the parade first and then let them know the importance of this day,” Trigg said. “I love inclusion. I like to see all the people here who can come together for this one occasion.”

“I used to go downstairs whenever we heard the marching bands going by,” Bradley Anderson said, recalling how he was a kid living near the parade route. Now he has his own children to bring to the parade.

“Dr. King’s legacy was that we could all love each other and grow up together,” Anderson said. “So if we don’t get to know each other, we can’t learn to love each other, better.”

From time to time, Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech echoed through the speaker.

“He said he had a dream,” Ellis said. “But there is still a lot to be done.”