The City of Long Beach has announced the grand marshals and parade route details for its upcoming 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration this Saturday.
This annual celebration of Dr. King’s transcendent legacy and the Black community is presented this year by the City of Long Beach, the Office of Sixth District Councilmember Suely Saro and several sponsors.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street and end at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The full parade route map can be viewed here.
Chosen for exemplifying Dr. King’s community service leadership, here are the grand marshals for this year’s parade:
- Dale E. Clinton – A lifelong social justice advocate who has served on several local community boards in Long Beach, fighting for the rights of poor mothers as well as pushing for welfare rights, fair housing, economic development and the betterment of marginalized communities.
- Samuel “Skip” and Beth Keesal – The philanthropic founders of the Keesal, Young & Logan Charitable Foundation, which has given nearly $7 million to local organizations, have also provided pro bono legal work for several organizations.
- Veronica Garcia Dávalos – A 30-year veteran of nonprofit organizing, she is the Executive Director/CEO of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation and co-founder of the United Latino Fund and National Latina Alliance.
- Chanwantha Sam Limon – The first Cambodian American woman to hold a chief role in human resources for the biggest social services department in the country. She also co-founded the Spirit of Khmer Angkor and has served on the board of the Aquarium of the Pacific and co-chair of the Long Beach Sankranta.
- 2024 Long Beach Poly High School Boys and Girls Track and Field teams – In 2024, the Jackrabbits boy’s team clinched their first state title since 2011, and both the boy’s and girl’s teams won CIF-SS championships led by coach Crystal Irving.
- 2024 Wilson High School Girls Track and Field team – Last year, the Bruins girl’s track team secured back-to-back state championships, creating a standard of excellence for the program under coaches Neil Nelson and Shannon Fisher.
The parade will be followed by a celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (1950 Lemon Ave.) featuring live entertainment, food and merchandise vendors, a kid’s zone and more from noon to 5 p.m.
The entertainment lineup, including occasional sets by DJ Infinite E. throughout the day, is as follows:
- 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Performance by Gravity Dance Company
- 12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Performance by bass player and artist AJ Luke
- 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Program and announcements
- 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Performance by saxophonist JQuailT
- 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Performance by Grammy-nominated recording artist Ms. Anita Wilson
- 4:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. – DJ Infinite E. with AJ Luke
The grand marshals announcement has since received backlash from several residents for a lack of Black representation, with Clinton being the only Black individual serving as grand marshal. Two local high school sports teams with Black athletes were appointed as a group to be grand marshals, but are serving in that role as a group rather than individuals. A change.org petition calling for the City of Long Beach to transfer the management of the parade to a “viable Black nonprofit” was created on Monday, Jan. 13.
As of Jan. 16, the petition has received 267 signatures.
The petition lists the following demands:
- The City of Long Beach publicly acknowledges the harm caused by this decision on the same media platforms used to promote the parade and celebration and one printed publication.
- This should occur by the next City Council meeting scheduled for January 21, 2025.
- [Organizers] expect to meet with the 6th District Council member within 30 calendar days from the date of the MLK Parade and Celebration to discuss the results in further detail.
- The transfer of the 2026 responsibilities regarding the managing, planning, and execution of the parade and celebration. This will require shifting from the 6th District Council office to a viable Black nonprofit. The Black community in Long Beach will select the nonprofit via a community survey. The community includes businesses, nonprofits, and faith leaders of the City of Long Beach. This will ensure the parade truly honors Dr. King’s legacy and reflects the richness of Black culture.
- The continued support and sponsorship from the Mayor and City Council.
To learn more about the event, visit longbeach.gov/mlkparade/.
