About 300 people gathered on the UNM campus Sunday to march down to Civic Plaza to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Marchers met at University and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevards at about 3 p.m. in chilling temperatures and sang "God Bless America."
The procession was led by the president and organizers of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The NAACP sponsored the event in honor of King, who led the struggle to win civil rights for blacks in America during the late 1950s and 1960s, and was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Adia Corley, Albuquerque NAACP treasurer, said she was pleased with the turnout of marchers.
"It is so important for people to remember the struggles that minorities had in the 1960s and the struggles that minorities are still having in the world," Corley said. "This march shows people that we are still standing for what we believe in and we are still a community."
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Ellen Grigsby, a UNM political science professor, attended the event and said she wanted to march because she wanted to pay her respects to King.
"I wanted to show honor to Dr. King for the impact he has had on civil rights in America and to join with the community to show that we are all together," Grigsby said.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gary King participated in the event and said he was enthusiastic about campaigning for the beliefs of the civil rights leader.
"I am here to support peace in the community," the gubernatorial candidate said. "I believe that we can live in peace and that lawmakers can help in that endeavor."
The UNM College Democrats were also on hand to carry a banner and show their support of King's doctrine.
"We are here to celebrate the program of America, which is the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.," said Brian Eagan, president of the UNM College Democrats.
At Civic Plaza in downtown Albuquerque, marchers gathered to hear local politicians and community leaders speak about why King's philosophy is still important today.
"We got to keep marching because the struggle is not over and it is not solved yet," former New Mexico Governor David Cargo said. "We got to change people's hearts and what they feel inside."
Albuquerque Police Chief Gilbert Gallegos said he was enthusiastic to be at the march and that he is going to work harder to make his department reflect the community.
"I think our police department can do a better job of having minorities serve the community and be a part of the plan to make Albuquerque a place that follows the dream of Dr. King," Gallegos said.
