By Dr. John E. Warren
Years ago before there was a Martin Luther King, Jr. legal holiday; and long before many states and cities consented to name streets or buildings after Dr. King, there were Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parades in Southeast San Diego. In those days only parades “recognized” as official could march down Broadway in San Diego, and “Main” street in communities around this state and this country. In those days all recognized parades were on Broadway in San Diego starting at about 12th street and going west to Harbor Drive. When the organizers of the parade were able to get city recognition, the parade was moved from Imperial Avenue and Euclid Avenue to the downtown venue. When Horton Plaza was developed and the King Holiday was embraced as “official”, the shopping center complained to people “spilling over” into the new downtown Horton Plaza Mall and a decision was made to move all parades to Harbor Drive, away from the shopping district.
When the cruise ship business came to San Diego and many of the ships docked on Saturday, all Saturday parades were once again moved, but not back to Broadway. Some went to Balboa Park, some such as the San Diego LGBT Pride Parade returned to the communities from which the participants came and the MLK Parade for a while just marched around Petco’s parking lot until I approached the Port of San Diego proposing that the parade could be held on Sundays since there are no downtown cruise ships docking locally on Sundays.
It might well be time to move the parade back to the community, but if so, it must be done from a position of information and understanding of the history of this event which started at an elementary school in Southeast San Diego long before the nation decided to recognize Dr. King.
