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Martin Luther King Day celebrated in US with message of peace

"We don't want to forget the significance of what Dr. Martin Luther King did for civil rights and his contributions to society just for us to have equal rights." said Felicia Dugas, who is coordinating this year's Black Heritage Society parade on Monday, which more than 10,000 people are expected to attend.

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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, in large part due to King's influence during the civil rights movement, finally giving millions of African Americans the most fundamental right to vote and choose their elected representatives. "A lot of children don't know that back in the 1950s, you had to pay to vote or that there were polling tactics to intimidate Blacks not to cast their ballots," said Dugas. "So having that voting booth there is a crucial reminder to our younger generation about the importance of voting."