Cal State LA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes participated in her first Kingdom Day Parade in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Feb. 17. She is ready to make it an annual event for herself and the university.
“We are LA,” she said, referencing the university’s slogan, “and what’s more LA than celebrating with thousands of people who are uplifted daily by Dr. King’s legacy of strength, perseverance, and hope. It was an inspiring day, and I was happy to see the diverse faces lined up along the parade route, including many Cal State LA alums who proudly cheered us along. I look forward to Cal State LA being part of the event again next year.”
The Kingdom Day Parade has become a treasured Los Angeles tradition over its 40 years of existence. Billed as the “world’s largest and longest running life celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King,” the event has honored the life and legacy of the civil rights leader through its mission of promoting peace and unity, uniting diverse communities to celebrate King’s vision of equality and for all.
Video: 2025 Kingdom Day Parade brings community together for celebration in South Los Angeles.
Joining Presidents Eanes at the parade were 30 members of the Cal State LA community. The Cal State LA Cheer Squad led the delegation during the parade, followed by a Mustang convertible that carried Eanes, Golden Eagles men’s basketball assistant coach Michael Cooper, Director of Public Safety Larry Bohannon, and College of Ethnic Studies’ Associate Dean James Ford III. Students, faculty, and staff walked alongside the vehicle.
The parade was originally scheduled for Jan. 18 during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day long weekend but was postponed due to safety concerns following the Los Angeles wildfires.
Organizers did not want to distract from the recovery process and pushed back the event for a month to ensure that fire and law enforcement would be able to focus on the crisis in mid-January.
Beloved Los Angeles Lakers legend Cooper was one of the most recognized participants of the parade. From start to finish of the parade route, fans chanted “Coop!”, congratulated him on his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and thanked him for the Showtime Lakers-era memories. One fan even brought a Lakers No. 21 jersey, which was recently retired by the team, for Cooper to sign.
Cooper, who continually waved a black-and-gold Cal State LA pennant while riding beside President Eanes in the back of the Mustang, obliged every request for a selfie, fist bump, and hug from the Lakers fans.
“Dr. King was about unity and the development of all people, no matter their color,” Cooper said following the parade. “Cal State LA is in the heart of Los Angeles, and we have alumni that fought in the civil rights movement in the 60s and ’70s. I grew up watching a lot of changes happen at that time. It was very significant that those civil rights leaders made it easy for us to get an education, to make a living. That’s why it was important for me to participate and remind people never to forget.”
The theme of this year’s parade was “Peace and Unity, Let It Start with Us.” Renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump served as the grand marshal.
Also in attendance were Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, District Attorney Nathan Hochman, former boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard, and Rep. Maxine Waters, a Cal State LA alumna.
As usual, the parade featured marching bands, colorful floats, drumlines, and dancers. The 2.1-mile route stretched from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and S. Western Avenue to Crenshaw Boulevard, and south to Vernon Avenue.
The Congress of Racial Equality of California, a civil rights organization that fights racial injustice, organized the event. The organization’s CEO, Adrian Dove, is a proud Cal State LA alum (Class of ’59). Dove later attended Harvard University, worked directly with Dr. King, and served in the Richard Nixon administration.
Photo: Cal State LA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes meets members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority during the 40th annual Kingdom Day Parade. (Credit: Xavier Zamora/Cal State LA)
Photo: The Cheer Squad leads the way for 30 members of the Cal State LA community as they make their way through the 40th annual Kingdom Day Parade. (Credit: Xavier Zamora/Cal State LA)
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
