On Saturday morning, runners and walkers will gather at City Hall not just for a race, but for reflection. The Owensboro Human Relations Commission is hosting its inaugural Dreamer’s Dash 5K, designed in part to honor the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Dr. Eunice Taylor, who helped lead the effort, said the idea grew out of the commission’s annual January events honoring King’s birthday.
“Initially, we had it planned around the Martin Luther King birthday event, the walk that we generally have,” Taylor said. “But the weather was not favorable in January. Then it dawned on us — why not have it around the same time Dr. King did his march on Washington back in ’63?”
The race will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at City Hall. Participants can register online through the Owensboro Human Relations Commission website or on-site the morning of the event. Awards will be given for competitive runners, but Taylor emphasized that the day is about more than competition.
“What I envision is an opportunity for the serious runners to go out and do their thing,” she said. “But also an opportunity for people to get out and walk, talk together, and think about where we are as a community, where we have been, and where we’d like to go.”
Taylor’s personal connection to King’s legacy runs deep. Growing up in Washington, D.C., she was just 11 years old when her father attended the March on Washington.
“There was a whole different silence in the city that day,” she recalled. “A lot of folks thought things were going to go belly up, but it didn’t. People were inspired, people were energized, people were motivated. I could hear it and feel it. That spirit of hope — it got the country moving.”
Taylor said she hopes the Dreamer’s Dash sparks similar reflection and unity in Owensboro.
“We should consider ourselves as like a patchwork quilt,” she said. “Or even better, a stained glass window. When it comes together and the sun shines through, you can see the results of the beauty. That’s kind of what I would like us to be as a community.”
While this year’s event is simple — a 5K walk and run with T-shirts, medals, and community fellowship — Taylor believes it can grow. But she insists the heart of the event will remain centered on King’s mission of hope, unity, and civil dialogue.
“We want to advocate for the rights of all people,” she said. “Because when you miss one, you miss all.”
The race will run until about 10 a.m., with on-site registration and donations available.
“Come on down and enjoy the fun,” Taylor said. “Talk to the runners, talk to the people, and keep inspired.”
