MLK Day events in LA to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy Monday

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles' premier annual event to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- the Kingdom Day Parade in South L.A. -- has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still a number of MLK-related events set for the Monday holiday.

Here are some of them:

-- at 9 a.m., the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE-CA) Kingdom Day Parade Committee will sponsor a free in-car COVID-19 rapid-testing event in lieu of hosting the annual parade, which has been canceled for a second straight year. The committee has 500 rapid tests, and cars can line up on West 43rd Street off Degnan Boulevard from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-- at 9 a.m., the First AME Church of Los Angeles will host "The Hope Clinic,'' a special vaccine event to commemorate MLK Day and provide people an opportunity to receive doses of the Pfizer, Moderna and J&J COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses. The church is located at 2270 S. Harvard Blvd.

-- at 10 a.m., Big Sunday will host its 10th annual MLK Day "New Clothing Collection and Community Breakfast.'' The Hollywood-area block party will feature the collection, assembly and donation of 2,022 new cold-weather clothing kits. It takes place at 6111 Melrose Ave.

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-- at 10 a.m., the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice and other groups will host an MLK Day "Caravan for Social Justice,'' to "reflect the true spirit of Dr. King.'' The gathering begins at 10 a.m., and the caravan starts at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Western Avenue and MLK Boulevard.

-- at 10:30 a.m., LAUSD second-grader Isabella Blue, the Unite L.A. Foundation and other groups will host a Martin Luther King Jr. "Unity Skate and Walk'' event, featuring music, giveaways, a birthday cake, walk-up COVID-19 vaccines and testing and more. It takes place at Metro Rosa Parks Station, 11611 Willowbrook Ave.

-- at 11 a.m., Community Organized Relief Effort and the Sutro Avenue-Southeast Leimert Block Club will host a COVID-19 vaccination and testing pop-up event. It takes place at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

-- at 11 a.m., the California African American Museum will commemorate King with a series of virtual events, including a King family story time with the Los Angeles Public Library, a King speech study group and a performance by members of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. RSVP at caamuseum.org.

-- at 7 p.m., the city of Carson will present its annual tribute to King with an evening celebration featuring songs, dance and inspirational words. The event will be livestreamed at ci.carson.ca.us.