Denver's annual MLK parade is the largest in the West

Zoom in: The term "marade" was coined by former state lawmaker Wilma Webb by combining the words parade and march. Webb was largely responsible for ensuring King received recognition in Colorado on his birthday.

The intrigue: Webb was initially unsuccessful in passing a bill in the state legislature to recognize King's birthday, succeeding only after it became a national holiday in 1983 thanks to President Ronald Reagan.

• Colorado's bill was signed into law by Gov. Dick Lamm on April 4, 1985, 17 years after King's assassination in Memphis.
• The federal holiday wasn't officially observed until 1986.

Of note: Denver's marade has faced challenges over the years, most notably in 1992, when white supremacists heckled marchers with hate speech after getting an event permit on the same day, resulting in a riot after the event concluded.

Go deeper: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy in Denver