PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – Today the City of Long Beach shared details for its 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration taking place Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. The annual event serves to honor and keep alive the many values of Dr. King through arts, remembrance and meaningful perspectives, which has become a longstanding tradition that also celebrates the diverse community of Central Long Beach.

Parade

The 2024 festivities will begin with the parade kickoff at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street. The City proudly presents the following Grand Marshals who will lead the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade:

• Councilmember Al Austin II has been dedicated to serving Long Beach's Eighth District since 2012. As a longtime workforce advocate, he supports a better way of life for working families and actively contributes to good governance through leadership roles as a Labor official and City Councilmember. His record of service reflects a commitment to creating good jobs, improving infrastructure, neighborhood parks, and small businesses, all while fostering cultural enrichment within the community.
• Chan and Mark Hopson are Co-Founders of the Khmer Parent Association. Chan has served as its volunteer Executive Director since 1995. She has established numerous events, forums, and training in Long Beach dealing with health, intergenerational communication, and employment issues in the Cambodian community.
• Tonya Martin is President of Long Beach Pride who has volunteered and worked in areas inclusive to the empowerment of the community, youth, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, racial, and equality advocacy. She was honored in 2022 as an inductee into Harvey Milk Promenade Park Equality Plaza for her advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights and issues.
• Griselda Suarez is Executive Director of the Long Beach Arts Council and serves on the City of Long Beach Economic Development Commission. Throughout her career, she has created programming and training dedicated to facilitating transformation and creating agency for her communities.

View a map of the parade route here.

Celebration
After the conclusion of the parade, the park celebration will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park (1950 Lemon Ave.). Attendees can enjoy live entertainment, a kid’s zone, food and merchandise vendors, and more. The entertainment lineup is as follows, with intermittent sets by DJ Count throughout the day:

• 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. - Gravity Dance Company
• 1:15 to 2 p.m. – The Block PARTY Band
• 2:30 to 3:40 p.m. – DW3 
• 4 to 5 p.m. – Virgil Gibson

As part of the Celebration, the 2024 Peace Maker Awards will be presented. This award pays tribute to the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who brought forward community values and strategies to promote compassion and love among diverse communities. Additionally, it acknowledges his commitment to utilizing nonviolence as a transformative means for communities.
The 2024 Peace Maker Honorees are as follows:

• Keith Lilly is the founder of Developing Future Leaders, an organization that provides mentoring programs to develop young people into productive contributors within society. Keith is a long-standing member of the community in Long Beach and has received awards from the NAACP, City of Long Beach, and 55 Entertainment.
• Karen Reside is President of the Long Beach Gray Panthers group, a chapter of the nationwide nonprofit that educates and advocates for older adults. She founded the nonprofit Cultural Alliance of Long Beach, where she assisted in creating over 16 nonprofits. She has been reappointed to the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging for a two-year term in 2023.
• Tito Rodriguez is Director of the Local Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income communities. Through his nonprofit, Tito has provided thousands of children and families in Long Beach and the Los Angeles area with gifts, clothing and food. He is endearingly known as “Hood Santa.”
• Susana Sngiem is Executive Director of the United Cambodian Community. She is committed to equitable development in the Cambodian community in Long Beach, and currently serves as the Chair Midtown Business and Property Owners Association and is a commission member of City of Long Beach’s Homeless Services Advisory Committee.

The 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration is presented by the City of Long Beach and Office of Sixth District Councilwoman Dr. Suely Saro with additional sponsorship from: Port of Long Beach, Office of Vice Mayor Cindy Allen, Office of First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas, Office of Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga, Office of Fifth District Councilwoman Megan Kerr, Office of Eighth District Councilmember Al Austin, Office of Ninth District Councilwoman Dr. Joni Ricks Oddie, Long Beach Airport and many more. For more information about the event and this year’s Grand Marshals and Peace Makers, please visit longbeach.gov/mlkparade/.