By Antonio D. French
Filed Tuesday, January 24 at 5:53 AM
The director of the Annie Malone Children & Family Services Center said that the vote to move the Annie Malone parade was not controversial and north St. Louis should embrace the parade's move to downtown.
In a phone interview with PUB DEF on Monday, Richard King, said that Annie Malone's board of directors voted "overwhelmingly" to relocate the parade. He said that the vote, which took place on Thursday, Jan. 19, was 16-1, with only one board member abstaining. Three members were not present.
King said that recommendation to move the Annie Malone parade from north St. Louis came from the May Day committee, of which he is also a member. He said that turnout for the parade has grown in recent years. But he and his board members felt it was best to "get a more centralized location, giving us the opportunity to make it a community-wide celebration."
"We serve children in this whole community," said King. "Whether it's south, north, east, or west... We simply wanted to be a more community-wide celebration and more inclusive."
He said that moving the parade downtown made it more accessible to everybody in the community.
To those in north St. Louis who have attended the parade for generations, Mr. King said, "Still take pride in the parade. It's still an Annie Malone parade. It still will be one of the largest African-American parades in the country. "
Mr. King, who said he lives in north St. Louis County, said he would like to see northsiders embrace the new parade with enthusiasm. "The parade's location is really the only things that's changed," he said.
1 Comments:
And those of Irish heritage don't just live in Dogtown, nor those of Italian roots only live on The Hill. But when it comes to St. Pat's or Columbus Day, folks still enjoy a setting of meaning for a parade.
Annie Malone clearly belongs in The Ville. But with this goofy decision, I wonder, if like St. Pat's, that some might now decide to ignore Downtown, and still have their own neighborhood parade.
9:49 AM, January 24, 2006
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