(Top Photo: l-r) The Kingdom Day Parade’s Grand Marshal U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Dr. Adrian Dove, President/CEO, Kingdom Day Parade. Photo Credit: Kristina Dixon

(Bottom Photor: l-r) Jurnee Smollett-Bell (WGN’s Underground) and her brother Jussie Smollett (FOX’s Empire). Photo Credit: Louis Kengi Carr

Los Angeles, CA — Thousands of people from every nationality flooded the streets in Los Angeles at the 33rd Annual Kingdom Day Parade to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  California U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris the Grand Marshal walked the 2.5-mile parade route with her Coalition which included actors and celebrities representing Times Up movement; Natalie Portman (Star Wars prequel trilogy), Jussie Smollett (FOX’s Empire), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (WGN’s Underground), Mudbound’s director Dee Ress, United Farm Workers, Korean Resource Center, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. to name a few.

The spirit of diversity embraced the parade and unity was in the air, at the largest and longest running Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Birthday Celebration in the nation! ABC-7 has broadcasted the entire 2 Hour Kingdom Day Parade Live for over 8 years, it now has a media audience of over 2.4 million viewers and listeners.

In deepest respect for the legacy of Dr. King, the parade featured more than 150 units involving over 3,000 individuals which included; the “Kingdom Day Parade Queen & Her Royal Court”, soulful, elaborate floats, marching bands, high school & middle school drill teams, novelty acts, equestrian units, and an exciting turn out of celebrities and community leaders. Waters,

The day began with a breakfast, sponsored by Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza/Capri Capital Partners, LA Dodgers Alumni & LA Dodgers Foundation, and U.S. Bank, that was attended by the Who’s Who in Los Angeles. Kimberly Goode, SVP, External Affairs, Blue Shield of California who was the presenting sponsor, who introduced, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters that was last year’s Grand Marshal, pasted the torch to U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, as she gave a crowd stirring speech. Other attendees included; Anchor Leslie Sykes, KABC-TV; Steve Zimmer, LAUSD Board President & LAUSD Board Member Dr. George McKenna; LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Derrel Thomas & Dennis Powell representing LA Dodgers Alumni & LA Dodgers Foundation, Darrell Brown, Sr. VP, U.S. Bank, Bennett J. Johnson, III, Sr. VP, Capri Capital Partner/Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and countless others.

Dr. Adrian Dove, President and CEO, Kingdom Day Parade, said, “We are proud this year to give special honors to four great Californians: Delores Huerta, VP United Farm Workers, that changed the face of organized labor in America; David Eads and Ed Corey at the helm of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game; and Barbara Morrison, legendary founder of the Blues & Jazz Museum with its Harmony Foundation”.

This year, 2018 would have been Dr. King’s 89th birthday and is also the 50th Anniversary of his untimely Homegoing. Although he never reached the age of 40, his legacy will live forever. This years’ theme, borrowed from First Lady Michelle Obama is: “When They Go Low, We Go High”.

The Kingdom Day Parade’s community and corporate supporters include; its Presenting Sponsor Blue Shield of California, and other sponsors included; media sponsor KABC-TV/ABC 7, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, Denny’s Crenshaw, Covered California, Farmers Insurance, Los Angeles Unified School District, Downtown LA Motors, Felix Chevrolet, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, U.S. Bank, METRO, KNBC 4 Southern California, City of Los Angeles, Office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, County of Los Angeles, 93.5 KDAY, 94.7 The WAVE, 102.3 FM KJLH Radio, REAL 92.3 FM, KPWR Power 106 FM, KTLA 5, LAUSD/Beyond The Bell, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital.

About the Kingdom Day Parade

Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles, is a lot more than just another parade. It celebrates and is centered around the only national and local holiday whose central purpose is to celebrate equality and justice for all people and to fight for it using the weapon of love and peace. In the current year, the mission of bringing people together is needed more than ever. The Kingdom Day Parade and its fiscal agent, CORE-CA has a twelve month focus on bringing people together in harmony the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was conceived more than 37 years ago by the late Larry Grant and businessman Celes King III as a small neighborhood tribute to the life, work, dream, and spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was launched in San Diego and after five years it moved up to South Central Los Angeles about the same time another local hero; Stevie Wonder, was culminating a successful nationwide effort that resulted in Dr. King’s birthday becoming a National Holiday, on the third Monday in January of every year. After the untimely death, six years ago, of the original founder Larry Grant, Dr. Adrian Dove, the parade’s then long-time Financial Manager and Chairman of CORE-CA, the parade’s fiscal agent stepped forward to sustain the legacy and has continued at the helm of the parade ever since with the help of a strong team of volunteers and professional staff. Dove is a former field staffer who worked under Dr. King as a Voter Registration Worker in the Deep South during the 60s. Our original group of sponsors and participants have nurtured those humble beginnings which persisted every year, until it evolved into the major iconic event it has become today. Remaining on the same inner-city streets it began on. The Parade is committed to nurturing Dr. King’ s spirit for equality of life, using love and nonviolence as the primary weapon to become a participant, volunteer, sponsor or for more information, visit our website at: www.kingdomdayparade.org

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/kingdomdayparade

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kingdayparade

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kingdomdayparade

Media Contact for photos and interviews:

Edna Sims, ESP Public Relations

310.770.8117 ~ esppr@icloud.com

(Top Photo): Derrel Thomas & Dennis Powell representing LA Dodgers Alumni & LA Dodgers Foundation

(Bottom Photo): KABC 7’s Danny Romero interviews Kimberly Goode, SVP, External Affairs, Blue Shield of California, the presenting sponsor for the Kingdom Day Parade.

Photo Credit: Louis Kengi Carr