Long Beach honors legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with annual parade, celebration
Hundreds converged along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Central Long Beach on Saturday, Jan. 18, to honor and celebrate the legacy of the trailblazing activist who played a key role in driving the civil rights movement of the 1960s forward.
The 37th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration kicked off from the intersection of MLK Avenue and Anaheim Street and traveled to its destination at the Lemon Street park named after the legendary leader.
People cheered and waved to those walking the parade route. Family and friends sat along the route to see it go by.
Longtime Long Beach resident Diola Hall took her two granddaughters to enjoy the parade on Saturday morning. Hall’s granddaughters waved to everyone passing by and danced along to the musical performances.
“I’m so grateful to see another one,” Hall said about the parade. “It’s getting more diverse and more people are getting involved. We’re just glad to see the message and people out here celebrating.”
Long Beach held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach resident Diola Hall (center) with her granddaughters, Aria and Kamari, at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Longtime community volunteer and social justice advocate Dale E. Clintonat served as one of the grand marshals for Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The 2024 Long Beach Poly High School Boys and Girls Track and Field teams served as grand marshals for Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Poly High School cheer team performed during Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Cabrillo High School marching band performed at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Gravity Dance Company performed during Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The ROCK Christian Fellowship Church at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Washington Middle School Wolfettes performed during Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The 2024 Wilson High School Girls’ Track and Field team served as grand marshals for Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Aquarium of the Pacific at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Sixth District Councilmember Suely Saro at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Poly High School marching band performed during Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Nonprofit leader Veronica Garcia Dávalos served as one of the grand marshals for Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Cabrillo High School marching band performed at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach Unified School District’s Sankofa program at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Ninth District Councilmember Joni Ricks-Oddie at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The 100 Black Men of Long Beach at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
ONE Long Beach at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
African American Cultural Center of Long Beach at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
VIP Records at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach City College at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach Fire Department at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach’s First Lady Nina Richardson and daughters at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach City College at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
April and John Parker of the April Parker Foundation at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
April Parker Foundation at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
First District Councilmember Mary Zendejas and her team at Long Beach’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Long Beach held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The annual event serves to honor and keep alive the many values of Dr. King through arts, remembrance and meaningful perspectives – according to city officials – which has become a longstanding tradition that also celebrates the diverse community of Central Long Beach.
This year’s grand marshals for the parade included longtime community volunteer and social justice advocate Dale E. Clinton; philanthropist couple Samuel “Skip” and Beth Keesal; nonprofit leader Veronica Garcia Dávalos; community leader Chanwantha Sam Limon; the 2024 Long Beach Poly High School Boys and Girls Track and Field teams; and the 2024 Wilson High School Girls’ Track and Field team.
After the parade, the celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. Park had live entertainment, a kid’s zone, food and merchandise vendors, and more. There were also performances by Gravity Dance Company, bass player AJ Luke, saxophonist JQuailT, Pastor Funk and DJ Infinite E.
