Stone Mountain's ninth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Rally will take place at 12:30 p.m. Monday in Stone Mountain Village. The event will be a mix of fun and entertainment by local high school bands, but also a tribute to the civil rights leader and for what he stood.

“It really shows unity, and it’s also a history lesson for our children,” said Sarah Copelin-Wood, event coordinator and DeKalb County board of education member. Copelin-Wood expects at least 900 people will attend.

Parade Grand marshals are Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson and the Rev. Dr. T. Nathaniel Hercules, pastor of St. Paul AME Worship Center in Lithonia.

Headliners include Stone Mountain Mayor Patricia Wheeler, Ramona Tyson, interim superintendent of DeKalb County School System, state Rep. Howard Mosby and state Sen. Steve Henson.

The Stone Mountain High School Marching Pirates will be joined in the parade by the Avondale High School Marching Blue Devils, the McNair High School Marching Mustangs and the Tucker High School Marching Tigers.

A rally will be held after the parade at the gym of Champion Theme Middle School and features Jared Sawyer Jr., an eighth-grader at Champion, giving Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech for the third year.

The parade starts at 12:30 at the MARTA parking lot on Fourth Street and ends at the parking lot on the corner of Mimosa and Ridge. The rally starts at 2:00 p.m. at the school, located at 5265 Mimosa Drive.

Don't miss Saturday's feature on Jared Sawyer on Stone Mountain Patch.