Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would surely have been pleased with the turnout when the Bogalusa Voters League led a march through the city on Monday, the day designated nationally as one to remember his contributions.

The march traditionally attracts scores of participants, from senior citizens through babies in strollers, who proudly wave posters of the man whose message was one of peaceful activism and who dreamed of and dedicated his life to the goal of true equality.

Whether it was because the weather was beautiful and people were particularly inclined to get out and mingle after weeks of steady rain or because this year MLK Day fell on the second term inauguration day of a man of color, Barack Obama, the crowds along the streets were noticeably thicker than usual.

There was an excitement and joy in the air.

Perhaps there was something more, and King’s dream was at its heart.

As the national holiday was approaching last week, Levi Lewis stopped for a moment in thought. Then he looked around.

“It seems like the dream is coming true,” he said.

The celebrations continued Monday at Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Raymond A. Jetson further excited the elders who remembered King in life and the youth who will carry the rainbow of his dream into the future.