By Dianne Anderson

Pulling together hundreds of volunteers to serve thousands of Long Beachers for a day of endless attractions, live entertainment, food, health resources, and a kidzone is no small feat.

Add to that all the glam of twirlers, gleam of steppers, floats, grand marshals and band marchers who are living the dream of over 60 years ago.

This year, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is organized by the city of Long Beach and Sixth District Councilmember Suely Saro, who said she is honored to continue the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade in person.

“Dr. King’s life, legacy, and his vision for racial equality continues to be an inspiration and a reminder to reaffirm ourselves to the ideals he sacrificed himself for. I look forward to seeing everyone there as we reflect on our nation’s past and look forward to collectively achieving a more just society,” she said in an email.

On Saturday, January 13, the parade starts at 10:00 a.m. at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street, followed by the celebration from noon to 5:00 p.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, at 1950 Lemon Ave. Live entertainment lineup includes DJ Donaldo Reed and DJ B-ROKK: 6 Times Soul, Blue Breeze Band and the Mary Jane Girls.

Keith Lilly attended the recent 2nd Annual MLK Interfaith Leaders Breakfast, and said the local passion for King’s legacy was inspiring.

“It was for all the leaders, representatives from Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office, councilmembers and Mayor Rex Richardson, Senator Lena Gonzalez,” said Lilly of the youth-based nonprofit Developing Future Leaders. “We had members from the Jewish synagogue and Muslims. Everybody was there. It’s called the diversity of Long Beach, an international city.”

Among others attending were Councilmember Al Austin II, Councilwoman Megan Kerr, Councilmember Roberto Uranga, and Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine Director Brent Dennis.

As a young teen, Lilly remembers when King was killed during American apartheid. Back then, no more than two or three Blacks could walk together without getting stopped by police.

“We’re like why are they harassing us? When King got shot, it awoke us that the government gave things to white constituents in the U.S. like housing, but Blacks were redlined,” he said.

Discrimination stopped Black soldiers from accessing GI Bill loans to buy a house, and Blacks could not buy houses in the suburbs like white families.

He feels that Dr. King brought so many issues to the surface.

“It was an awakening in our souls that we didn’t have the rights that other citizens had, we were labeled as former slaves, in reality, we were still slaves, but there were some of us allowed to be on a plateau,” he said.

For all the struggle, he is encouraged that the youth these days are aware.

“This is a wise and sharp generation, they pick up things so fast,” he said.

Rev. Leon Wood sees MLK Day as fulfilling the dream for all people, and he wanted peace for all.

“He didn’t have little in-groups. He believed in fairness and openness to all people,” said Rev. Wood, founder of the nonprofit Success in Challenges. “The African American community needs to unite and work with all communities. We don’t need to be isolated but work for the betterment of humanity.”

He said one of Dr. King’s most powerful speeches was prophetic in many ways. His speech on opposing the Vietnam War spoke of how Black and white boys could kill and die together, but were unable to sit and eat together in schools.

“We were taking the Black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem,” Dr. King said in his 1963 speech at Riverside Church in New York.

One year to the day later, King was assassinated.

“As long as Dr. King talked about letting Blacks eat at lunch counters, America could tolerate that, he wasn’t dangerous,” Dr. Wood said. “But the moment he became international, he was accepted in Europe, Asia and other countries, and brought [to light what’s] going outside the walls of the nation, he became detrimental”

Sean Deveraux, executive director at Leadership Long Beach, sees Dr. King’s legacy continue today through volunteerism. With a focus on his agape love for community, volunteers will come out to help others with dozens of projects.

“Our motto for MLK Day of Service is make it a day on not a day off,” he said. “We’re focusing all of our energy efforts and volunteering for the actual holiday to deliver to the community.”

Younger volunteers can choose a technology and ice cream social for seniors to help them reset passwords or log into social media sites. They can work with projects from Heart of Ida, a nonprofit that connects seniors with resources.

In District 8, volunteers can beautify with tree planting. Other projects going on include a mural installation in Central Long Beach with the neighborhood partners, AOC7. In collaboration with Algalita Marine Research and Education, they can roll up their sleeves for a beach cleanup.

“We are also putting together a therapeutic garden and memorial garden at the Multi-Service Center, geared toward the population experiencing homelessness so they have a beautiful area on their campus,” he said.

Last year, his program had nine projects, pulling about 400 volunteers. This year, he expects about 100 more.

Most of all, he said the holiday has broadened the conversation, not only in remembering Dr. King, but also with advancements in areas of women’s rights, gay rights, and equity across multiple identities.

“Locally in Long Beach, the communities that we activate and work among are really motivated by the legacy of Dr. King, and have not lost direct contact of where we came from and what work needs to be done,” he said.

To get involved as a volunteer or participant in the parade, visit www.longbeach.gov/MLKparade

For Dr. King’s Speech at Riverside, see https://www.aavw.org/special_features/speeches_speech_king01.html