GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Seated near the city street that bears his name, Green Cove Springs residents and city leaders joined millions of Americans this week to celebrate the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Keynote speaker Rep. Clovis Watson Jr. (D-Gainesville) urged attendees to stop getting angry at history, and instead, become knowledgeable about it.

“When I talk about some ugly portions of our history,” said Watson, “realize that we also have some beautiful portions that have come.”

Throughout Watson’s speech, those words acted as his guideline on how Americans should proceed as they navigate the future.

“That is why I have come here today,” he continued, “because of the opportunities that are now available to all of us.”

After a brief summary of African-American history in America, Watson asked that the crowd celebrate the progress that this nation has made, and give thanks to those who made it possible, such as King.

Martin Luther King Day became an official national holiday 31 years ago, and is celebrated each year on the third Monday in January. The date is not King’s birthday, which was Jan. 15.

Killed in April of 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., King’s legacy is able to live on in not only the things he accomplished throughout his life, but also in a national commemoration each year.

Just as King used his national spotlight to tell the nation of America’s injustice on African-Americans, Watson used this celebration as a platform to speak to the young people, asking them to realize how far those before them have come and how far they too, can go.

“So, for the young people who think there’s no hope, who feel there are no opportunities available to you,” Watson said, “I say to you: Shirley Chisholm, Thurgood Marshall, Medgar Evers, Dr. King.

“If they made it, through all the difficulties and all of the roadblocks in their way,” explained Watson, “we have no excuse.”

Watson asked that the audience repeat those words.

“We have no excuse,” the crowd chanted.

He said that while some have worse circumstances than others, there is still no excuse. He even asked that rather than complaining that the deck is stacked against you, that attendees can stack their own deck.

At this point, the crowd was all in, cheering and praising the words that Watson spoke.

And much like King’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Watson cast his own dream for today’s youth.

“I dream of a day, that all of our young people will choose education instead of incarceration,” he began. “I dream of a day that all of our young people will take a positive dream instead of drinking and smoking,” he said.

Each of these lines from Watson’s speech were met with an eruption of applause from the audience that resembled a worship service.

He said it is important that the children of America no longer choose obstruction, recklessness and a care-free attitude towards education and knowledge. Instead, Watson asks that children educate themselves on what they are not happy with, so that they might responsibility and effectively find a solution.

“I have a dream that we as a nation finally realize that we hold our fate in our hands,” Watson said.

Before closing, he left listeners with one last thought.

“I dream of an America, simply Americans, not Black Americans, not White Americans, not Democrats or Republicans,” he said, “but simply Americans, not divided by class or race, or status, but people taking advantage of the American dream, working together for freedom, unity, success, greatness and strength.”