COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) —  Marching from a prayer service at Zion Baptist Church on Washington Street, attendees made their way to the Statehouse for the 25th anniversary of King Day at the Dome — honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Over 3o dignitaries addressed the crowd — many giving a call to action. “Where are you when we are fighting to make laws that impact your lives? Where are you when we need you out here getting people to vote?” asks Annie McDaniel, Chair of the SC Legislative Black Caucus. “So in this cold moment in Columbia SC, let’s heat up. Let’s get fired up! Let’s get ready to go! Because we are the difference between democracy and oligarchy,” says Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP. “The youth of America seem to be conferring with TikTok and things like that instead of looking back at history. Not realizing that history is the entity that gets you where you’re going,” says attendee Rody Egister. “We are resourceful. And I believe we will survive this administration as we did before. Be relentless and continue to fight for the justice that we deserve,” says attendee Nocola Hemphill. ABC Columbia’s Lee Williams spoke with Jaime Harrison, Chair of the Democratic National Committee and keynote speaker before the event began. “And the question is, will Donald Trump step up to the plate? Will he live up to the legacy of Dr. King? A legacy built on togetherness, a legacy built on unity, but a lesson built also on effective change for all of America,” asks Harrison. Williams asked Harrison what his message would be to young people going forward. “Don’t give up hope, but also don’t be silent in the face of hatred and division. One thing I want young people to understand is, they are the largest demographic in the country. But they are the lowest performing voting demographic in the country too. And so if they want to change this country, they have the power to do so but they have to use it. You can’t just complain about what’s bad with America, you’ve got to do something to change America. And so I hope young people will look at what has happened these last few years and take up the power that they have,” says Harrison. The last time the MLK holiday fell on Inauguration Day was in 1997 for the 2nd inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Categories: Local News, News Tags: Derrick Johnson, Jaime Harrison, King Day at the Dome, MLK Jr., NAACP, Nocola Hemphill, Rody Egister