The 2018 Palm Sunday Peace Parade, inspired by Dr. King's Poor People's Campaign, will focus on issues such as police accountability, rent control, 100% green energy for our City, and averting war with North Korea.

REVIVING THE SPIRIT OF DR. KING"S "POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN," PASADENA 16TH ANNUAL PALM SUNDAY PEACE PARADE WILL ADDRESS ISSUES RANGING FROM RENT CONTROL TO AVERTING WAR WITH NORTH KOREA

With the theme “Jesus’ Poor People’s Campaign,” churches and community groups will march from the Reformation Lutheran Church (570 Orange Grove Blvd) to the corner of Garfield and Colorado on Palm Sunday (March 25, 2018). This Parade will commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Dr. King’s “Poor People’s Campaign,” and support its rebirth through the New Poor People's Campaign happening nationwide. Rev. Dr. William Barber, founder of the “Moral Monday Movement” in North Carolina, says, “This campaign aims to build a broad and deep national moral movement — rooted in the leadership of poor people and reflecting the great moral teachings—to unite our country from the bottom up.” Our Parade’s call to action will address local issues pertaining to economic, racial, and environmental justice as well as stopping the wasteful wars of aggression aboard so we can adequately fund education, housing, and health care.

This family-friendly Parade has taken place since 2003 and has attracted as many as 200 participants with music, speakers, and activities for children as well as adults. This year’s Parade will feature Allison Henry, an advocate for the Pasadena Tenants Union and rent control; Skip Hickenbottom, attorney and member of CICOPP, a Pasadena organization advocating police accountability; Sue Park and Hyun Hur, Mennonite pastors and founders of ReconciliAsian, a Korean peace group,  who will speak about averting war with North Korea; Tom Brady,  chair of EDEN, the environmental ministry of All Saints Church will speak about Pasadena 100, which is promoting 100% green energy for Pasadena. Participants will also learn about ways to support the upcoming 40 days of action for the Poor People's Campaign in California that begin inMay. Music will be provided by Stephen Longfellow Fiske, author and activist musician, and  Fidel Sanchez, a Salvadoran activist musician.

The Palm Sunday Peace Parade is sponsored by a coalition of churches and community groups including the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, Jesus for Revolutionaries, Orange Grove Friends (Quaker) Meeting, Pasadena Mennonite Church, Reformation Church Pasadena, First Congregational Church of Pasadena, Progressive Christians Uniting, Knox Presbyterian Church, Urban Village of Pasadena, Maryknoll Affiliates of Los Angeles, Maryknoll Sisters, Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church, Montrose Peace Vigil, and All Saints Church (Pasadena).