Dodger Matt Kemp Leads Annual Kingdom Day Parade

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The 28th annual Kingdom Day Parade wound through the Crenshaw District and Leimert Park Saturday in honor of the iconic civil rights leader.

The thousands of attendees were treated Saturday to sunny skies and slightly warm temperatures, following the bitter cold in the earlier part of the week.

Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp served as the celebrity grand marshal of the parade, whose theme was "His Dream Will Never Die."

Several former Dodgers participated in the parade, including Maury Wills, who rode on the Dodger fire truck.

The parade featured an effort by Donate Life California to promote organ and tissue donation in L.A.'s black and multi-cultural communities. Transplant recipients, donor family members and living donors were aboard a decorated double-decker bus themed "Get Onboard Donate Life."

The parade is traditionally held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but this year was held two days earlier to avoid conflict with Monday's inauguration of
President Barack Obama for a second term.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances were also held in Culver City, Inglewood, Long Beach, Santa Monica and West Hollywood Saturday.