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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - 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 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.
-- 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 https://caamuseum.org/programs/kids-teens-and-families/king-day-2022. Contact: communications@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 https://ci.carson.ca.us/.