August 5, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

30th annual Kingdom Day Parade marches through South Los Angeles

The parade had more than 3,000 participants. (Thinkstock)
The parade had more than 3,000 participants. (Thinkstock)

The 30th annual Kingdom Day Parade worked its way through South Los Angeles on Monday with the theme “Love & Respect: Let It Begin With Me,” and with Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson serving as grand marshal.

Southern California’s largest Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance began at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, heading west on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Crenshaw Boulevard, ending near Leimert Park.

The parade had more than 3,000 participants. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, last year’s grand marshal, joined Wesson on his float, along with Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles.

“This is about lifting everyone, and we want to deliver that message to whoever listens,” Wesson told ABC7 along the parade route.

Garcetti told the station the parade marks not only “the legacy of Dr. King, but the work that remains to be done.”

“The minimum wage in this town — to raise that,” he said. “To house the homeless. To make sure that young men of color don’t die on the streets in this country. That work remains, but Los Angeles is leading, and I’m really proud to be here today.”

Metro’s entry in the parade was a replica of the bus Rosa Parks was riding in when she was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white rider in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955.

The entry was intended to highlight transit’s role in the civil rights movement and mark the 60th anniversary of Parks’ arrest and subsequent bus boycott, which became a catalyst of the movement, according to a Metro official.

UCLA’s track and field team was also among the parade’s participants.

“This day and this parade have given me the opportunity to discuss and share some of Dr. King’s messages with our student-athletes,” UCLA director of track and field Mike Maynard said.

Aside from street closures, there were no reports of any troubles stemming from the parade, although police responded early on to a report of an un-permitted drone being flown over the route.

Meanwhile, Inglewood’s 32nd annual commemoration of King’s life and accomplishments featured a commemorative program at Crozier Middle School with speeches from elementary, middle and high school students and elected officials, performances by local choirs and community groups.

A symbolic civil rights march began at the school and made its way to the Forum, where the King Fest 2015 featured live entertainment, arts and crafts projects and food trucks.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was also marked in Los Angeles County by several service projects, a celebration in Santa Monica and a blood drive.

More than 1,000 volunteers helped paint educational murals and build school gardens at the Santee Education Complex in South Los Angeles.

The fourth annual Roosevelt High School Beautification Day included a campus clean-up, mural painting and cultivating a community garden.

An effort to revitalize the Carmelitos Community Garden in Long Beach was also held as part of the MLK celebrations.

Santa Monica’s 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration was held at the Soka Gakkai International Auditorium. Its theme is “The Fierce Urgency of Now” and will include inspirational readings and music. Social activist Gabriella Rosco will be the keynote speaker.

A Community Involvement Fair followed at the SGI Youth Center.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, meanwhile, marked the holiday with a daylong blood drive.

More than 1,000 volunteers organized by the service group City Year descended on Diego Rivera Learning Complex in South Los Angeles for a beautification project, painting 70 murals around the campus.

“Dr. King once said, ‘Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve,”‘ said Mary Jane Stevenson, executive director of City Year Los Angeles. “This day offers us the unique opportunity to reflect on those values by mobilizing volunteers for a day of service in their own community.”

 

Related Posts

Culver City Approves 344-Unit Project, Drops Office Space From Jefferson Site Plan

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

More Housing, Less Office Space as Long-Stalled Site Moves Toward Construction Culver City officials have signed off on a revised...

Cary Grant’s Former Beverly Hills Estate Hits Market for $77.5M

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

Rebuilt by His Widow, the Home Now Offers Sweeping Views Once owned by Hollywood legend Cary Grant, a Beverly Hills...

LA Housing Permits Rebound in Q2: Wildfire Rebuild and Fast-Tracked Reviews Spur Modest Growth

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

New Data Shows a 37% Quarterly Jump in Residential Permits, Long-Term Uncertainty Looms Residential development in Los Angeles picked up...

Federal Court Upholds Stay on Trump-Era Immigration Raids in California

August 3, 2025

August 3, 2025

Detention Horror Stories and Legal Pressure Keep Feds at Bay  A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a temporary order...

Two LA County Deputies Charged in Off-Duty Scheme Tied to Crypto ‘Godfather’

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

Deputies Accused of Abusing Law Enforcement Powers for Beverly Hills Mogul One Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy pleaded guilty,...

Metro Releases Draft Environmental Report for Sepulveda Transit Project, Public Comment Now Open

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

Six Route Alternatives Under Review for Valley-To-Westside Connection The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has released its Draft...

Trump Administration Freezes $200M in UCLA Research Funds Over Student Protests

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

UCLA Says Freeze Harms Life-Saving Research With No Connection to Stated Reason Donald Trump’s administration has blocked $200 million in...

Culver City’s National Night Out Returns August 5 With K9 Demo, Live Music, and Fun

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

This Year’s Celebration Moves to the Culver Steps to Encourage Community Spirit Culver City’s annual National Night Out celebration returns...

City Installs Crosswalks In Sawtelle District After Residents Paint Their Own

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Los Angeles Begins Official Safety Upgrades Near Stoner Park City crews began installing official crosswalks Friday near Stoner Park in...

HARD Summer Returns This Weekend With New Sound Strategy After 2024 Noise Complaints

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Sold-Out EDM and Hip-Hop Festival Runs Saturday and Sunday at Hollywood Park The HARD Summer music festival is set to...

Free Document Shredding, Electronics Recycling Set for Saturday in Culver City

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Culver City Offers Secure Way to Recycle Tech and Shred Paper This Weekend Residents will have the opportunity to responsibly...

Last Call: Culver City Wants Your Input in Hiring Its Next City Manager

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Public Survey Open Through August 1 Invites Residents to Weigh In As Culver City begins its search for a new...

1,000 Additional National Guard Troops Withdrawn From LA as Federal Presence Continues to Shrink

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

National Guard Presence in Los Angeles Slashed Again Amid Ongoing Rollback Roughly an additional 1,000 National Guard troops have been...

Luxury Watches Stolen From Keanu Reeves Recovered in Chile, To Be Returned to Actor

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Six Rolex Watches Worth Over $120,000 Were Seized in Santiago Police Raid Six high-end watches stolen from actor Keanu Reeves’...

Aging Mindfully: Zen-Inspired Senior Living Takes Shape in Simi Valley

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Two Zen-inspired senior living communities are embracing the reality of aging — consciously. Ensō Village, open since 2023 in Sonoma County,...