South Los Angeles came alive as people of all ethnicities converged on Martin Luther King Blvd to celebrate the 30th annual Kingdom Day Parade. The parade featured more than 3,000 participants, who rode on floats, marched, danced, displayed social and political statements, and celebrated the life of Dr. King.
This year’s parade took place 50 years after Dr. King’s famed march in Selma, Ala. for civil rights, and a number of participants peacefully conveyed the message that “Black Lives Matter” with signs and shirts. The theme of this year’s parade was “Love & Respect: Let it Begin With Me.”
Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson served as the grand marshal, and people enjoyed a fun day in the sun, socialized with residents within the community, and enjoyed some of the best barbecue around as many street vendors had grills on just about every corner.
Key figures within L.A.s Black community took part in the festivities, as well as youth marching bands and drill teams from various schools in the area, Black fraternities and sororities, as well as other local community service organizations.
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, Ala., in 1955.
This year the parade extended its route to start at Vermont, and it ended in at the Leimert Park Village, where the festivities continued.
