The echoes of history resounded through the streets of Lakeview last Sunday, as more than 300 community members gathered to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s landmark march through the neighborhood in 1965.
Led by the Pride of Malverne marching band, the crowd made its way down Pinebrook Avenue, banners high and spirits lifted, in a powerful display of unity and remembrance, toward Malverne High School.
The march was organized by the Lakeview branch of the NAACP to honor Dr. King’s visit on May 12, 1965, when he led demonstrators from Rockville Centre to what was then the Woodfield Road School and is now the Lakeview Public Library, in support of desegregating the Malverne school district.
“There’s been a lot that’s happened in 60 years,” Frederick Brewington, a prominent civil rights attorney and Lakeview native, said. Brewington, who was a boy when King marched through his neighborhood, clearly recalled the day. “When I got home from school, I broke into the front window of my house so I could get to my bicycle and make it to the Woodfield Road School on time,” he recounted. “When I got there, Dr. King came through, and put his hand on my head.”
“The purpose of today’s march is to commemorate Dr. King’s commitment to equality,” Doris Hicks-Newkirk, president of the Lakeview NAACP branch, said. “This is a reminder to our community that 60 years ago, Dr. King came here because he knew our school district was divided. He believed our students deserved equality.”
Standing at the entrance of the library property — where King stood 60 years ago — organizers unveiled a new memorial plaque, marking the celebration and honoring the building as a symbol of peace, unity and progress in the community.
“We march today to say thank you, acknowledging that a change has taken place, but we have not completed the vision of Dr. King 60 years ago,” Hicks-Newkirk added. “We still have work to do. Together we stand. Together we will achieve this vision.”
Community leaders and elected officials lent their voices to the cause and celebrated the district’s ongoing efforts aimed at inclusion.
“Three communities have come together to commemorate the work that many community leaders have put forth to make sure that our school districts, our children, are receiving the best,” Lisa Ortiz, co-founder of the Lakeview Civic Association, said. “The best that our state can offer, the best that our teachers can offer, the school district, and the best that we as a community deserve.”
Jessica Douglas, director of African American Affairs for Gov. Kathy Hochul, reflected on King’s legacy. “It’s a pleasure to be here in this community learning about the history of Martin Luther King,” Douglas said. “Because of what he did, there are more people that look like me in government.”
The Rev. William Thomas, of St. John’s Baptist Church, in Lakeview shared his experiences, having been born in Birmingham, Alabama. “Much of what you read about, I lived,” Thomas told the crowd, quoting King’s enduring words: “‘If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But whatever you do, go forward.’ We must continue to move forward.”
For many, the march was both a moment of gratitude and a call to action. “We are living in the midst of trying times,” the Rev. Tristan Salley, chairman of the NAACP’s special committee that organized the march, said. “We have an administration that is currently attacking the moral fabric of this society. But as we come together, let’s remember that what we do is not for us, but for generations yet unborn — to leave them a better world than what we have found.”
U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen acknowledged the historical gravity of the day. “He envisioned equality, justice, and dignity for every human being,” she said of King. “And he saw a future where America’s young people would rise with courage, conviction and purpose to work for a better world. I urge every student here, and every one of us, to continue using your voice, to never underestimate the power that it holds to make history.”
Gillen also awarded Certificates of Congressional Recognition to the Lakeview NAACP and the Civic Association.
Lorna Lewis, superintendent of the Malverne Union Free School District, shared her personal connection to the legacy. “As a woman who is beyond 60, I really appreciate the fact that all of this work was done while I was alive, and that Malverne has been so pivotal in all of this,” Lewis said.
The march highlighted the progress Malverne has made, but also the work that must continue to be done. “So much can happen in such a short amount of time, but at the same time, so much time has passed and not a lot has been done,” Stuart Oates, adviser to the Lakeview NAACP Youth Council, said. “There’s still a lot of work to do, and I feel, as we mark 60 years, it reminds us of that.
