HARBOR DRIVE (KGTV) — Thousands gathered on Harbor Drive in San Diego on Sunday afternoon to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy at the annual parade honoring the civil rights leader.
The vibrant celebration brought together people of all ages to participate in and watch the parade, creating a powerful display of unity and community spirit.
Julie Norris, who has attended the parade on and off for decades, said the event represents something meaningful to her.
"We enjoy coming out celebrating, you know, supporting the efforts of Martin Luther King and what he did for us and, um, just bringing unity and togetherness and equality and all the things that he stood for," Norris said.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January. The federal holiday was established after a 15-year campaign advocating for a national day to honor the civil rights leader following Dr. King's assassination in 1968.
For many attendees, this marked their first time experiencing the Harbor Drive parade. One first-time participant described the powerful sense of community at the event.
"It feels like I'm in a brotherhood of like-minded people who are standing up for love together, so it's like you see every single kind of person out here and all of us together believe in Doctor King's message of peaceful change and of love before anything else," they said.
Both newcomers and longtime attendees viewed the parade as an important symbol of unity, particularly relevant in current times.
"Especially in today's day and age, there's a lot of division. There's a lot of different ways of looking at life and things that are going on around us and just to take time away from all of that to come and be together means the most," another attendee said.
The celebration showcased the enduring impact of Dr. King's message through the diverse crowd of performers and spectators who came together on Harbor Drive to honor his legacy.
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