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While the Opp Martin Luther King Jr. march and program was the largest the city has seen, organizers have a vision to make it even greater.

Organizer Allison Hines said that she has a vision to have a full-blown parade.

“I see blacks and whites singing and holding hands,” she said. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was for everyone.”

She said that Dr. King truly believed that people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

“We want to make it bigger and better,” she said.

Hines, who is married to Councilman LaVaughn Hines, is originally from Shelby County, but has lived in Opp some 30 years.

She realized that the march was never organized, some just took hold of it.

So, last year, she formed a committee.

She asked for volunteers and seven people came to help.

“Thank you, thank you,” she said to those who answered the call. “It’s a lot of work.”

The committee began in October preparing for the event, but to make next year’s event even better, she wants to begin as soon as possible.

“If you want to be on the committee, let me know,” she said.

She needs manpower of people to organize food, make signs and any other work that is needed to help the event.

She also wants people who have ideas to join the committee.

“If you have anything different to add to make it bigger and better, we want to hear it,” she said.

Hines was quick to give God the credit for this year’s success.

Hines said in the past things has driven locals away from each other, but she encouraged them to “let it go.”

“We can’t change the past,” she said. “We can’t mend broken hearts, but God can. We can choose to work together and the program can be awesome.”