LA, Orange Counties to mark MLK Day with parades and service projects ...Middle East

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was marked on Monday with numerous parades, musical and cultural events and volunteer opportunities throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties on the federal holiday honoring the legacy of the slain civil-rights leader.

Monday’s biggest Southland event for the occasion took place in South Los Angeles, with the renamed Los Angeles Official Martin Luther King Day Parade, with Cedric The Entertainer serving as the grand marshal.

The parade began at 10 a.m. at Western Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, ending at Leimert Park. It included floats, marching bands, church and community organizations and elected officials, with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass among the participants.

“Today, tens of thousands of Angelenos came together to celebrate the life and lasting legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the annual MLK Day Parade in South L.A.,” Bass said in a statement.

“It was a wonderful and powerful tribute to Dr. King’s memory to march down MLK Boulevard alongside so many friends and community members in the historic Leimert Park neighborhood.”

In a separate statement, Bass said, “After the parade, LAPD responded to a group of young people creating a disturbance and there are reports of a stabbing towards the end of the parade route that remains under investigation.

“My Office of Community Safety is coordinating closely with LAPD and community violence interventionists in the area to de-escalate tensions and disperse the crowd to ensure everyone makes it home safely. Los Angeles has zero tolerance for this type of violence.”

The stabbing occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Monday near McClung Drive and Stocker Street West, where a large group was present in the area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

This was the first time the parade was conducted by Bakewell Media, publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper, which took over the event —formerly called the Kingdom Day Parade — and rebranded it as the “after the previous organizers, Adrian Dove and the Los Angeles chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality California, decided to retire from producing the event.

Also Monday, the annual MLK Day Volunteer Festival took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, beginning at noon and run by the nonprofit L.A. Works. It’s billed as “the largest activation of service event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at a moment when the city’s need for collective action has never been greater.”

The event focused on wildfire recovery and uplifting displaced families, and standing with immigrant communities, organizers said. It involved volunteer projects, educational activities, a nonprofit fair and a small-business zone, a live DJ, and more.

Other Monday events included:

— In Exposition Park, the California African American Museum organized a King Day program from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that had a community service book donation drive supporting the Little Free Library at the Crenshaw Family YMCA; a faux stained glass workshop; a King study group; and concluded with a performance by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of L.A.

— In Santa Clarita, a “Unity Walk” took place at 9 a.m. at Central Park, 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road. Mayor Laurene Weste provided remarks near a public art installation called “When Cloud Met a Cloud,” located toward the park’s exercise staircase.

— In Santa Monica, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition’s 41th annual holiday celebration was held with the theme “Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat To Justice Everywhere.” Emmy award-winning producer and reporter Bonnie Boswell, executive producer for Bonnie Boswell Reports on PBS, was the keynote speaker. The celebration began at 9 a.m. at John Adams Middle School’s Performing Arts Center, 2425 16th St.

— Cerritos’ MLK Day ceremony began at 10 a.m. at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive. The ceremony featured remarks by members of the Cerritos City Council, plus guest speakers, a poetry presentation and musical performances.

— In Long Beach, the Queen Mary commemorated MLK Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a student speech-writing contest, a lecture series and a screening of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The Queen Mary is docked at 1126 Queens Highway.

— In downtown Los Angeles at 3 p.m., Archbishop José H. Gómez celebrated a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels to honor King’s the life.

— In Irvine, the Pretend City Children’s Museum celebrated the legacy of King “with special activities and thoughtful discussions.” The event, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m., honored and celebrated “Black leaders, artists, and innovators throughout the day.” The museum is located at 29 Hubble.

— In Santa Ana, Reconcile Church Collective organized an Orange County MLK Breakfast at 8 a.m. The church is located at 1010 W. 17th St.

MLK Day, observed on the third Monday of January, began in 1986 under President Ronald Reagan. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed a bill making MLK Day a day of service. King’s actual birthday was Jan. 15, 1929. Monday marks the 97th anniversary of his birth. He was shot and killed by an assassin on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39.

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