Washington D.C. Martin Luther King Jr Peace Walk and Parade

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do… you have to keep moving forward.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Since 2015 Peacebuilding Connections has been a co-organizer and producer of the D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade. The parade was conceived in 1977 by the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, founder of The Washington Informer and co-founder of the United Black Fund, along with his wife, the late Ward 8 Councilmember Wilhelmina J. Rolark, Esq., and the late Ralph “Petey” Greene, a community activist and radio personality. Thanks to these three renowned civic leaders, the District of Columbia was one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to hold a parade honoring Dr. King following his untimely death on April 4, 1968.

Peacebuilding Connections works with the MLK parade committee to design, market, and organize each year’s parade. Peacebuilding Connections oversees day of logistics for all parade participants, working directly with 100s of organizations from across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia.