MIAMI – A California native, Bob Duggan has done many things in his life, but becoming a grand marshal is something he would have never expected.
Duggan is an entrepreneur who worked his way up from mowing lawns and selling newspapers to running multimillion-dollar companies.
He became one of the grand marshals at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in Miami.
“They put me out front and I’m all in,” Duggan said. “They said, ‘Would you do this?’ and I said, ‘Hell yeah, I’ll do this.’”
Duggan said he couldn’t be more honored.
“He was a great healer, so I had nothing but love and admiration for him,” he said. “But then I noticed the crowds he would draw. His ‘I (Have) a Dream’ speech was impressive.”
His sights are set on inspiring others by carrying on Dr. King’s legacy.
“I always loved and appreciated Martin Luther King. Why did I love him? Because that guy is taking on a job that many others wouldn’t face,” Duggan said.
And the work doesn’t just stop on MLK Day for Duggan. Through his initiative Genius Inc., his focus is educating the youth in underserved and inner-city communities.
“We are touching life, we are bringing awareness and understanding,” he said. “We need you to be playing the game of life. Life is conducting yourself in a manner that creates the future.”