Long Beach honors legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with annual parade, celebration

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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)

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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)

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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.