SAN ANTONIO – Eastsiders said they are ready for the city's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March on Monday.
Barber Mike Hemp works near the parade route at J's Beauty and Barber Salon. He said he's cut hair for about 10 years.
"I like to improve on people's appearance when they walk out of here," he said.
When asked for an off-the-cuff progress report on King's "The Dream" speech as applied to modern times, he said the answer varies.
"Where are we with the dream? It depends on who you ask," Hemp said.
Hemp also said he believes youngsters could stand a refresher course on civil rights.
"A lot of the younger generation don't know the concept of the dream at all," he said.
A few miles away, Sonya "Momma" Rose said her favorite part about MLK Jr. Day in San Antonio is the march.
"I take about 20 kids every year. I guess I'm what you can call a mentor," Rose said.
A number of business owners and employees said they know that Monday's MLK Jr. March is one of the nation's largest with 200,000 people expected to attend. Some, like restaurant owner Mark Outing, plan to throw a get together after the march. He said all are welcome.
"We're having speakers for MLK Day at our restaurant and a $2.99 dinner special," said Outing, owner of Mark's Outing on Commerce Street.
The restaurant owner also said despite what's lacking where racial disparities are concerned, there are also obvious differences today that were utterly shocking just a generation ago.
"You can't tell a black man he can't come in to a restaurant any more and get something to eat. That's going to be a major problem," Outing said.
Monday's march gets started at 10 a.m. at the MLK Academy on MLK Drive and end at Pittman-Sullivan Park at 1101 Iowa Street.