Democratic presidential candidates link arms, march together to honor MLK

Hundreds followed the Democratic presidential candidates, as they marched from the prayer service to the State House for the King Day at the Dome ceremony.

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — Hundreds followed the Democratic presidential candidates, as they marched from the prayer service to the State House for the King Day at the Dome ceremony. Arm in arm, the candidates put aside their differences while they walked to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Once at the State House, seven presidential hopefuls spoke to the crowd.

“We don’t celebrate Dr. King just for his dream; we celebrate him for the sacrifices, the hard work and the determination, and above all for his action,” said Joe Biden, former Vice President. “To paraphrase Dr. King, we have guided missiles but we have misguided men leading this nation.”

“Our job is not just to remember the history of Dr. King, it is to absorb his revolutionary spirit and apply it today,” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Biden, Sanders, Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, philanthropist Tom Steyer, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Minn. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and former Mass. Governor Deval Patrick all attended and spoke during the ceremony.

Former Mayor of South Bend Pete Buttigieg did join the candidates at the prayer service and marched to the State House with them, but due to scheduling he was unable to stay and talk to the crowd during King Day at the Dome.

Each of the Democratic candidates addressed Dr. King’s legacy, and how issues he faced still remain today.

“To honor his struggles and his triumphs, to honor his stand against racial and economic injustice, to honor his courage and his conviction,” said Warren. “We are in a fight. A fight for a country that works not just for the rich and powerful, but that works for everyone.”

“The policy issues that the presidential candidates are addressing, you can’t look at any of those issues without realizing that there’s an underlying point about race in every one,” said Steyer. “Dr. King has a national holiday because he stood for justice for every American. But he was also the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, particularly specifically for African Americans.”

Candidates touched on issues of race, education, health care, the desire for peace, and the right to vote.

“That means protecting the right to vote, it means reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act, rolling out automatic voter registration, stopping the gerrymandering, and taking the big money out of our politics,” said Klobuchar.

“The beloved community Dr. King envisioned is at risk, you all know that. The cheery, economic indicators just don’t tell the whole story,” said Patrick.

Candidates left King Day at the Dome after speaking to attend other MLK Day events across the country.