NATCHEZ &045; With the possibility of war in the Middle East and the threat of terrorism here at home, it is encouraging to know that some people are striving to make this world a better place.

Organizers applied that theme to the seventh annual Black History Month Parade on Saturday as a long procession of colorful floats and decorated vehicles rolled through Natchez.

Riders on four wheelers and horses also participated.

Several entries in the parade were sponsored by area churches.

&uot;What we all need today is more love between people,&uot; said Henrietta Whitley, a part-time Sunday school teacher at Greater New Bethel Baptist Church.

Whitley and a dozen children from the church rode a float promoting peace and unity, tossing

candy to a mixed crowd of local residents, merchants and tourists along Main Street.

Other floats celebrated the accomplishments of black leaders such as George Washington Carver and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Nathaniel Myles, 15, and Shawn Davis, 14, were among a group of cadets from the Natchez High School ROTC program that marched in tight formation near the front of the parade, dressed

in crisp blue uniforms.

Myles said it is important to celebrate black history.

&uot;As a community, black people have accomplished a lot.

We need to have this parade as a way to reward ourselves for those achievements,&uot; said Myles.

Sixth Circuit Court Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders, the state’s first female circuit court judge, and members of the Southwest Mississippi Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women were among local black leaders who rode in the parade.

Although chilly and damp from a lingering fog, Saturday’s weather conditions were a vast improvement over conditions two weeks ago when a steady rain forced officials to postpone the event.