HOUSTON – The nation will honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday with parades and events in various cities from coast to coast.
In Houston, there were two prominent parades – one downtown and another in midtown.
What to know about 42nd annual MLK parade
DOWNTOWN MLK DAY PARADE: KPRC 2’s Sofia Ojeda is live in downtown Houston, joining in the festivities of the ‘original’ MLK day parade. MORE: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/01/19/what-to-know-about-houstons-two-mlk-day-parades-on-monday/
Posted by KPRC2 / Click2Houston on Monday, January 20, 2020
Mayor Sylvester Turner joined with members of the Black Heritage Society for the second time in celebration of King. The parade began at 10 a.m. in Downtown Houston, starting on Smith and Lamar streets.
This year’s parade featured marching bands, music groups, decorated floats, military and ROTC groups and a few surprises, according to Turner. Boxer and business icon George Foreman was the Grand Marshall.
Houston’s MLK parade was the first held in the nation after being sanctioned by the King family in 1978.
What to know about 26th Annual MLK Grande Parade
The city’s second prominent parade is the MLK Grande Parade, which is smaller but has also been known to attract thousands of spectators, including well-known politicians.
This parade celebrated its 26th year in midtown and started at 10 a.m. on San Jacinto and Elgin streets.
Its theme was “The Color of Unity,” which emphasized the city’s strengths through diversity. The parade was dedicated to the U.S. Army Air Corps 212th Pursuit Squadron “The Tuskegee Airmen.”
The lead elements in the parade were the United States Air Force Honor Guard from Washington, D.C. and the United States Ceremonial Marching Band from Lackland AF Base from San Antonio. The Co-Grand Marshals were U.S. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and U.S. Congressman Dan Crenshaw. The parade also recognized and honored former Rep. Ron Wilson, the architect of the MLK State Holiday.
The parade featured more than 250 performance groups, including 36 marching bands and 14 parade floats from across the nation.