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38th Annual Kwanzaa Parade To Be Held Friday

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  —  The 38th annual Kwanzaa parade will be held along Crenshaw Boulevard Friday to mark the start of the seven-day African-American festival of Kwanzaa with the theme of "Perfect YOUR Temple."

The theme represents "a call to arms in our constant and ongoing efforts to `perfect' our lives," with temple referring to our bodies,
according to organizers.

The parade is set to begin at 11:15 a.m. at the corner of Crenshaw and Adams Boulevards, then head south along Crenshaw to Leimert Park, where a "Black Lives Matter" rally will be held.

Pastor K.W. Tulloss, the senior pastor of the Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church and Los Angeles President and Western Regional Director of the National Action Network will be the Oba (king). Social commentator and syndicated newspaper columnist Jasmyne Cannick will be the Iyaba (queen).

Other Kwanzaa activities include a Umoja (Unity) Celebration & Candle Lighting Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the African American Cultural Center at 3018 W. 48th St. in South Los Angeles and the 13th annual Block Party, Kwanzaa Heritage Festival & Candle Lighting Ceremony in the 4300 block of Degnan Boulevard in Leimert Park Village from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, now chair of Africana Studies at Cal State Long Beach, in what he called "an audacious act of self-determination."

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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