BALTIMORE — Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts celebrate the life of civil rights leader and icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the 16th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade on Monday, January 18, 2016 at noon.
Navasha Daya of the Youth Resiliency Institute and local singer of “Baltimore Stand Strong” will sing the National Anthem at the reviewing stand at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street just before the parade sets off.
The parade steps off at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street at noon and proceeds south on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and disbands at Baltimore Street.
More than 50 groups will participate in the parade including high school and community bands, honor/color guards, equestrian units, fraternities and sororities, lively dance squads and civic organizations. This year, organizations such as the NAACP honor Dr. King and other civil rights leaders by making colorful floats that also represent the theme of #OneBaltimore.
Spectators are invited to view the parade along the route or near the reviewing stand at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Franklin Street. This year’s parade is emceed by Konan of “The Ko Show” on 92 Q and April Watts of Magic 95.9 FM.
In 2016, attendees can expect to see live performances from community groups such as Norfolk Comanache Pathfinder and Adventure Club Marching Band, Infinity Elite Dance Team, Citywide Goldstarz Marching Band, New Edition Legacy Marching Band and the Baltimore Entertainers Marching Band. The Carver Vocational Technical High School Marching Band and JROTC, Edmonson-Westside High School Marching Band, The Baltimore Westsiders Marching Band and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Marching Band also perform. Tradition is honored by the local chapters of high-stepping fraternities and sororities including Dr. King’s own Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity and more.
Equestrian units Arabber Preservation Society, The Truth: Riding Horses with a Purpose and City Ranch, Inc. ride the parade route. Civic organizations such as Black Professional Men, Inc., Baltimore Ethical Society, Unified Efforts, Inc. and Women in Black continue Dr. King’s work through their participation. Other parade units include Baltimore Urban Debate League, Greater Baltimore Urban League Young Professionals Auxillary, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake and many others.
For more information about the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade, visit: www.promotionandarts.org.