MLK Gala, Parade, Community Health Fair

By Dianne Anderson
Flags will be whipping, steppers will be stepping, batons will be twirling, and marching bands will be on the move.
Rain or shine next week, nothing is keeping San Bernardino from turning out for a high-energy tribute to Dr. King’s legacy and memory through community action.
But first – the thing that makes it all happen.
On Saturday, January 18, the 5th Annual Gala features dinner, live entertainment and awards.
Lue Dowdy said that she is getting a lot of interest in the gala, with proceeds benefiting the charter school YouthBuild Inland Empire, an effort led by Rich Wallace that is changing lives for local students.
Under the theme “Echoes of Freedom as We Continue Marching Forward,” 2025 gala honorees include community leaders with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Patricia Nickols-Butler, Dr. Kim Carter-Tillman, Terrance Stone, among many others.
The Gala will be held at 320 N. E Street in San Bernardino and runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are $125.
On January 20, Rich Wallace is Grand Marshal and leads the charge for the parade that kicks off at noon, followed by festivities and a resource fair from noon to 4:00 p.m. The parade starts at the corner of F Street and 4th Street, winding through downtown San Bernardino.
Following the parade, the Bromatics will perform a medley of old-school Motown classics.
“All those classics we grew up on, and we have other artists lined up too. It will be a great day coming together collectively as a community for San Bernardino, and within San Bernardino,” she said. “We are happy to be a part of it.”
Everyone is invited out for the free extravaganza and family day of fun.
First 5 San Bernardino brings a KidZone with face-painting, balloon animals, a mini-train, and more. Classic cars, bands, float entries, food, crafts and information booths, along with local organizations offering information and services.
“They can come to get their faces painted, balloon twists, a little mini-train, all the goodies and activities for kids and parents, to be able to play,” she said.
She said there is still time to get a booth as a vendor, but spaces are filling up fast. The event is organized by the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Cities East Chapter, LUE Productions Community Umbrella Services, and Youth Build Inland Empire.
Shieke Shoes Impact Center is also stepping up big with free tennis shoe giveaways.
This year, she is excited about what the parade brings to the community, and as importantly, what the community brings to the parade.
Lately, she said they have gained good support with 12 schools from elementary to high school level, bringing their marching bands, step teams, and color guards.
“That was our biggest thing we want to make sure that the kids are involved because it’s a day of service. When you say train up a child, at the end of the day I believe with my whole heart we are all meant to serve and to help one another,” she said.
In Ontario, public health advocate Elizabeth Pinder-McSwain is gearing up for their health fair with vaccines for all, free health screenings, free blood pressure checks, glucose monitoring, COVID, flu, and RSV vaccines courtesy of the San Bernardino Department of Public Health.
Everything from diabetes prevention to job opportunities will be available in their packed lineup with over 30 vendors.
Along with her core partners supporting the effort, she expects the event will be as successful as their Thanksgiving giveaway that pulled many volunteers serving up food boxes in the icy weather with a smile.
“People were smiling in the rain. The more I serve, the better I feel,” said Pinder-McSwain, founder & Executive Director at Caramel Connections Foundation.
Earlier this month, out of nowhere, she said a big box chain called her and said they had 15 volunteers ready to send over.
MLK Day events are important, but she feels it’s also a reminder of unity in action as a key to building a stronger and healthier community.
At the event, participants can expect free lunch for the first 200 attendees. But, even if 400 people show up, she said they will make it work.
“We’ll cut sandwiches in half and serve more salad if we have to. Everyone’s going to eat,” she said.
The Caramel Connections Foundation’s 3rd Annual CCF MLK Jr. Unity Celebration is held on Sunday, January 19 from noon to 3:00 p.m. at Anthony Munoz Community Center located at 1240 W 4th St, Ontario.
Pinder-McSwain is an MPH Candidate at California State University, San Bernardino, and a Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellow. Ultimately, she said her goal is empowering the community through service, sustainability, and with a lot of heart.
“When we work together, we honor Dr. King’s legacy by stepping forward with purpose,” she said. “With the event coming up, I’m confident it’s going to be great, as long as I keep doing the work, God keeps giving me the connections I need.”
On Saturday, January 18, the University of California, Riverside is turning a day off into a day on with students, staff, and faculty lined up for hands-on community projects that pay powerful tribute to Dr. King’s legacy.
They note that their service day happens two days early to encourage everyone to help support the Annual MLK Day Walk-a-Thon, hosted by the Riverside African American Historical Society.
On Monday, January 20, the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast & Concert hosted by the Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches features a gospel concert with special guest Norman Hutchins.
This year’s program features Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Cook-Webb, Pastor, God’s People United For A Better World, in Birmingham Alabama. The event and gospel concert will be held at Entrepreneur High School located at 26655 Highland Avenue in Highland, and runs from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $55.
Turning up their MLK Day tributes in Riverside, on Monday, January 20, the Riverside African American Historical Society hosts its 30th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Walk-A-Thon. The event runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., starting at Stratton Community Center, 2008 Martin Luther King Blvd, and ending in Downtown Riverside at the Main Library. Registration is $40, which supports the Riverside African American Historical Society.
For more information:
For the San Bernardino MLK Parade, see Www.lueproductions.org or call Lue.info@yahoo.com
For the MLK Health Fair, community@caramelconnections.org or call see (909) 697-9017
To register for the Prayer Breakfast, see www.iecaac.org/
To register for Riverside AAH Society, see https://www.raahsinc.com/product/mlk-walkathon-2025/1
For UCR Student Life, see https://studentlife.ucr.edu/mlkday