Source: @tkminspired / @TKMInspired
For the second year in a row, Baltimore will not host a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts announced. Instead, a day of service will be held.
The parade hasn’t been held since 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021 and 2022.
In a statement released by BOPA on Twitter, the office said “Now, in 2023 it is a conscious decision to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy through a day of service rather than a parade.”
Read the full statement below:
https://twitter.com/promoandarts/status/1611156491213348865
U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-District 7, released a statement late Thursday night.
“I am concerned and disappointed by today’s announcement. It is disrespectful to tell entire communities that there won’t be an MLK parade less than two weeks before the celebration of his birthday and equally disrespectful to suggest that he can’t be celebrated through both a day of service and a community parade. BOPA is going down the wrong path by making this decision, thereby setting the stage for there never to be an MLK celebration parade again in Baltimore. It’s disgraceful,” Mfume said.
BOPA recommends visiting Americorps’ website, and following the mayor and BOPA on social media. For more information, click here.
