Houston gets excited for two MLK Day parades to commemorate Dr. King

HOUSTON - We’re headed into a long holiday weekend, one where Houstonians will be honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

For decades Houston has had two MLK Day parades to commemorate Dr. King and this year is no different. "Oh my goodness, we have so many (parade and float) entries. You’d be amazed," smiles Tony Deleon the Director of Houston's MLK Grande Parade.

"We just want Houston to come out and learn about the history," says Teresa Brewer the President of Houston's Black Heritage Society.

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The City of Houston is partnering with the Black Heritage Society for an MLK parade Downtown that begins Monday at 10:00 a.m. "It will start at Lamar and Smith Street and guess who our Grand Marshal is this year? Our Grand Marshal is Mayor Sylvester Turner. We also have Rev. Dr. Derek King. He is the nephew of Dr. Martin Luther King. He’s our Co-grand Marshal," Brewer adds.

The MLK Grande Parade also starts at 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning but will snake through the streets of Midtown, starting at Elgin and San Jacinto. "I love Dr. King’s vision of inclusivity for all. We have Muslim. We have Black, Hispanic. We have colleges, high schools, dance teams," Deleon explains.

Before the two big MLK Day parades, there will be a number of fundraisers with t-shirts sold, a Saturday night gala, and a Sunday gospel concert hosted by the Black Heritage Society. "The gospel concert starts at 4:00 p.m. and we have some renowned Houston artists Zacardi Cortez, James Fortune," Brewer says.

The Mayor’s float will feature ballerina Lauren Anderson, tennis champ Zina Garrison, retired NBA star Elvin Hayes, Texans legend Andre Johnson, Carl Lewis, and WNBA great Sheryl Swoopes to name a few.

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A free kids’ festival will follow the Black Heritage Society’s parade near City Hall. "We’re going to have a voting booth, so the children can see what a voting booth looks like. We're going to have arts and crafts to explain what MLK did," says Felicia Dugas with the Black Heritage Society.

"There’s also celebrations throughout the city. Every neighborhood might have a small parade, but that’s ok. As long as we’re celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King," Deleon smiles.

Click here for more information on the MLK Grande Parade and click here for more information on the Black Heritage Parade.