The City of Long Beach, 6th District Councilmember Dee Andrews and the Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine will host the city’s 27th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace & Unity Parade and Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 17. The theme of the celebration is “From Poverty to Prosperity.”
This year’s parade grand marshals are community leaders that have given whole-heartedly to the Long Beach community, Andrews said. “We are very fortunate to have individuals in our community that reach beyond the everyday challenges to include serving others in a way that uplifts the entire community,” he said. “It is people like these individuals that have helped shape our neighborhoods.
The parade will start on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue at 10:30am, intersecting Anaheim Street. It will proceed north then turn right (east) on 19th Street and then left (north) on Lemon Avenue. There will be free parade and velebration parking at Long Beach City College, located at Orange Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway. Shuttle buses will be transporting participates and spectators to and from the parade route between 7:30am and 10am, at the same location.
The following are the grand marshals and honorees for this year’s event. (To read more information about them, visit longbeach.gov/district6 .)
Sen. Ricardo Lara was elected in November 2012 to represent the southeast Los Angeles County cities of the 33rd Senate District.
Rex Pritchard is president of the Long Beach Firefighters Union, Local 372.
Anitra Dempsey has worked in several positions with the City of Long Beach since 1987, including at the Long Beach Police Department and the city manager’s office.
Luther Williams taught math at both Polytechnic High School and Wilson High School before retiring in 1995 and is a member of several community organizations.
Cindy Young and Marybeth Murray work in the Long Beach Unified School District Child Development Department.
Nary Loeung is a community advocate and volunteer.
Cecilia Chavez has headed the Holy Innocents Crisis Pregnancy Center, outreaching to expecting mothers, as a volunteer for the last eight years.
Naomi Rainey, current president of the Long Beach Branch of the NAACP and secretary of the California State NAACP, is the 2015 honorary chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.
For more information contact Andrews’s office at (562) 570-6816 or visit longbeach.gov/district6 .
Source: 6th District office
