Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade

Arguably the most visible figure in the Civil Rights movement, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored across the country annually on the third Monday in January with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On Monday, January 20, 2025, Miami joins in this federal holiday with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade & Festivities in Liberty City. This year's theme - "Don't Give Up on the Dream!" - commemorates the 60th anniversary of Dr. King's famed "I Have A Dream" speech.

On this special day in Miami, local politicians, police, fire and rescue departments, parks and recreation, community leaders, state representatives, media outlets, business owners, entertainers, labor groups, historians, volunteers and corporations all come together to honor this Civil Rights hero.

Miami’s Parade & Celebration

The festivities begin with the 48th annual parade in Liberty City at 11 a.m. starting at Northwest 7th Avenue and marching along Northwest 54th Street to 32nd Avenue. This two-and-a-half-hour parade route traces the steps that Dr. King traveled in Miami during his frequent visits.

Parade-goers can expect to see high-school marching bands, student athletes, dance teams, drill teams and cheerleaders on foot, as well as floats, cars and fire trucks carrying local politicians, union leaders and activists. Carnival dancers also take to the streets for dance and musical performances. Miami’s celebration is one of the country’s oldest and largest. The parade will also be taped and aired as an hour-long special on WLRN-PBS.

Family Festival at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park

The parade concludes near Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park where a daylong Family Festival in collaboration with the Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department takes place from noon to 5 p.m. with live music, dance, cultural programming, theatrical performances, food vendors and a marketplace. The family-friendly celebration is designed to honor, promote, unify and preserve Miami’s vibrant African and Caribbean heritage. All are welcome to join in the celebrations.

You’ll find a crafts marketplace with vendors selling clothing, books, jewelry, tropical plants, herbs, spices, arts and crafts and more. At the WEDR 99 Jamz Mainstage, international recording artists and top DJs will perform favorites from R&B, soul, jazz, reggae, rap, salsa, merengue, hip-hop and other genres, while the Cultural Stage will host theatrical performances and art exhibitions. At the Children’s Village, you’ll find educational and interactive games, sports and arts projects on the legacy of Dr. King.

The Food Corner will have a wide variety of local restaurants, food trucks and grocers dishing up everything from soul food to creole, African falafel, Jamaican patties, Haitian griot, Bahamian conch fritters, Southern barbecue, Trinidadian doubles and so much more.

The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As chief leader of the movement to end racial discrimination in state and federal laws in the 1950s and 1960s, Dr. King organized several marches and peaceful protests. In 1963, he organized the famous March on Washington, which was memorialized in 2013 by President Barack Obama on its 50th anniversary. Here, King delivered his iconic "I Have A Dream" speech.

A year later, on October 14, 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. Tragically, on April 4, 1968 he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee at the young age of 39.

Posthumously, Dr. King was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. As a nation, we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day annually to honor his courageous work.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an important time to reflect on the journey our nation has taken towards freedom and equality, and to look at the work that still lies ahead. As Dr. King once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” On this day, in Miami and across the nation, we honor and strive to achieve his dream.

By: Shayne Benowitz | January 9, 2025