The 25th annual Kingdom Day Parade rolled down Martin Luther King Jr. and Crenshaw boulevards late Monday morning as tens of thousands celebrated the former civil rights leader under rainy skies.
An estimated 45,000 people attended the parade, said Officer Gregory Baek of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Kenai Raymond, 17, a senior at nearby Gertz-Ressler Academy High School said she came despite the dreary weather to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the work he accomplished during his lifetime.
"The rain didn't stop him; so it didn't stop me neither," Raymond said.
The parade started at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Western Avenue and headed west on King Boulevard, before heading south on Crenshaw Boulevard and ending at Vernon Avenue.
At the corner of King and Crenshaw boulevards music blared from speakers as parade goers enjoyed floats, marching bands, and dancers.
Police, firefighters, politicians, and celebrities also participated in the event.
ABC7 Eyewitness News anchor Marc Brown served as the parade's grand marshal and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa walked the parade route with an umbrella.
"The United States of America has always been about equality for all, but it didn't always meet that high goal, and the civil rights movement opened up the country to make sure that every one of us...have an opportunity to be all that we can be," the mayor told reporters.
Among the estimated 45,000 attendees was Ty Henderson, who lived through the civil rights era and said he came out to celebrate the freedom of all races.
"This represents our rights as individual human beings so that we can fulfill our greatest potential that lies inside," Henderson said.
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"Life's most urgent and persistent question: What are you doing for others?"
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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