Parade, service projects to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day in L.A. County

Southern California will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday with a parade and activities designed to educate, entertain and improve communities.

In South Los Angeles, the 32nd annual Kingdom Day Parade will feature marching bands, drill teams, politicians in convertibles and other entries on a route that runs along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Crenshaw Boulevard and other streets near Leimert Park. The parade starts at 10 a.m.

Other holiday events set for Monday include:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. In Exposition Park, the California African American Museum will offer a series of activities between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., including music, food and, from 1 to 3 p.m., a marathon reading of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches.

The 5^th annual MLK Clothing Drive and Breakfast. From 9 a.m. to noon, the organization known as Big Sunday will hold a community breakfast and collect donated clothes at 6111 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. Volunteers will help out with counting, sorting, folding and ironing the donated items.

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration and Student Awards. In Altadena, Charles W. Eliot Middle School will play host to a continental breakfast, a teach-in and holiday celebration and program. See here for details. The school is at 2184 N. Lake Ave.

MLK Day of Service. In Long Beach, community groups will send volunteers across the city to different service projects — a garden planting, a house painting, a beach cleanup and more. The event starts at 8 a.m. with a rally and a free pancake breakfast at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 1950 Lemon Ave.

[email protected]

Twitter: @DavidZahniser

ALSO

50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. turned his activism against the Vietnam War, and lost allies as a result

What 8 years with a black president meant for some African Americans: the freedom to ‘dream’

Eight men own as much wealth as the poorest half of the world’s population, report says