Thousands of chanting, sign-waving marchers participated Monday in the 10th annual King Day at the Dome rally, which served as much as an offering of thanks for President Barack Obama's election as a remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy.
Indeed, for many of those who addressed the crowd, Obama's assumption of the presidency last year was the ultimate proof of the power of King's legacy.
Nowhere was that more clear than in the remarks of the Rev. Nelson Rivers III, a longtime civil rights and NAACP figure whose rip-roaring sermon was the centerpiece of the hour-long prayer service at Zion Baptist Church that got Monday's events started.
Rivers recalled a meeting years ago with state officials who told him the Confederate flag would never be removed from atop the State House dome.
"I know all about never, and never meant a thing to us," he said. "You said we'd never go to (the University of South Carolina), but we did. You said we'd never go to Clemson, but we did. You said we'd never go to The Citadel, but we did. You said we'd never be free, but we are. You said a black man would never be president, but he is!"
That brought a roar of approval from those at the church and from those listening to Rivers' remarks outside, where many wore T-shirts with images of King and Obama.
After the prayer service, those at the rally gathered in front of the church for the march up Washington Street and down Main Street to the State House.
College students made up a large contingent of the crowd, which the NAACP estimated to be as large as 9,500 but other observers estimated to be less.
Darius Daniels, a 19-year old sophomore at S.C. State University, said he was glad he came.
"I like the unity," Daniels said. "I like the cause."
Several causes were mentioned Monday, including: health care reform, moving the Confederate flag from the State House grounds, aid for Haiti's earthquake survivors and improved early childhood education for South Carolina students.
After the march to the State House, Rivers asked the crowd to donate money to help those who survived the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti last week.
Orange buckets were passed through the crowd as people reached into their pockets and purses.
Jackie Brown, 48, of Columbia, attended her first King Day at the Dome event since moving back to town two years ago.
"It's just a reminder of the fact that my life and the things I've accomplished, those opportunities were made not just by Dr. Martin Luther King but others' actions in the '60s," she said.
A half dozen tables were set up on the Capitol grounds, where people could fill out voter registration forms. And the Census Bureau distributed information and trinkets to encourage participation in the upcoming count.
Wilhelmina Kimpson signed up voters at one table with other members of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. They usually get 20 to 30 people to register at the event, she said.
"If we get one, we count that a victory," Kimpson said.
Stanley Scroggins, youth director at Joshua United Methodist Church in Charleston, relished the sunny skies and warm temperature. King Day at the Dome is an annual event for his church, and members have endured some brutal weather over the years, he said.
"It was miserable last year," Scroggins said. "I went and sat on the bus."
South Carolina's education system received plenty of attention from speakers. And Barbara Bodison, an elementary school teacher from Goose Creek, appreciated the emphasis.
"I feel disappointed every time I hear 'minimally adequate.'" she said.
Bodison also said she was concerned about the state's economy and its political leadership. She hoped Monday's calls for change would make a difference.
"South Carolina as a whole - I've been disappointed in our leadership from the governor on down," she said. "We seem to be stuck in a rut. We talk about moving forward, but we never go anywhere."
No cause drew as much attention as the push to move the Confederate flag from the State House grounds.
Ben Jealous, president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, wasted little time in his speech in getting to the flag.
"Time's on our side," he said. "It's not on the side of those who want to see that flag fly for a thousand years."
Office-seekers often participate in the King Day rally, and this year was no different.
A pair of gubernatorial candidates - State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex and state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, - shook hands and shared smiles with potential voters on Monday.
Speaking to a reporter as he walked down Main Street, Sheheen said he favors moving the Confederate flag from the State House grounds.
"I think we need to work together to get to that point," he said.
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