Overview
- California made more than 200 state parks free for the holiday after the National Park Service dropped MLK Day from its 2026 fee‑free dates, a move announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
- Los Angeles’ longtime parade debuted under Bakewell Media as the Los Angeles Official Martin Luther King Day Parade, with Cedric The Entertainer as grand marshal and a post‑parade festival in Leimert Park.
- The Los Angeles Police Department said it is investigating a reported stabbing near McClung Drive and West Stocker Street shortly before 2 p.m. near the end of the parade route.
- Civil‑rights leaders, including Bernice King in Atlanta, criticized immigration raids and efforts to curtail diversity, equity and inclusion programs, using the day to urge continued nonviolent activism.
- Cities from San Francisco and Oakland to San Diego, Detroit and Cincinnati combined marches, cultural programs and service projects, with Bay Area events explicitly addressing recent immigration raids and LA Works’ festival focusing on wildfire recovery and support for immigrant communities.