Norristown NAACP holds peaceful protest on Martin Luther King Day of Service

NORRISTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Greater Norristown N.A.A.C.P. organized a march for justice on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Dozens of people gathered at the Norristown Police Department and marched to the Montgomery County Courthouse. Their message embodied Dr. King's dream of people both young and old, Black and white joining together.

"He talks about not being complacent and continuing to push. We know that our government and people in power are only going to be as good as we demand they be," said Norristown N.A.A.C.P President Angelique Hinton.

Those gathering on Monday wanted to bring light to issues, like ending gun violence, school funding and inequalities in the criminal justice system.

"As he says, we all need to be together and I cannot be silent anymore. We all need to speak if we want justice," said Giselle Knoblauch of Norristown.

Young leaders like Thaddeus Peay, a Bowie State college student, spoke out on the courthouse steps.

"I'm very passionate about education and the fact that Norristown, the district I graduated from, is disproportionately underfunded," said Peay.

He also spoke about the Black Lives Matter movement and said it's more than just police reform.

"It's about confronting oppressive systems that really aren't necessarily police brutality because Black Lives Matter is in all phases, education and law enforcement. You can't just say it when people are out there killing us in the streets," Peay said.

The group is pushing for real action by holding lawmakers accountable, and in the famous words of the late Congressman John Lewis, creating "good trouble."

"I'm here as a local leader to show others that we have to fight even when it's uncomfortable, even when there's fear behind it. You have to stand up and do what's right for your community," said Norristown City Councilman Hakim Jones.