Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congressman Al Green and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, along with members of the Black Heritage Society released details for the 44th annual Original Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade.
This year’s parade will begin at 10 a.m., Monday, Jan. 17, starting at the intersection of Smith and Lamar streets in downtown Houston.
Vanessa E. Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, accepted the City’s invitation to serve as the 2022 parade grand marshal.
Wyche is the first African American to lead NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the first African American woman to lead ANY NASA center.
In addition, the City of Houston will salute and honor African American astronauts who have or will travel to space in the future.
The president of the Black Heritage Society, Teresa Brewer, announced that Claude Cummings, Jr., Regional Vice President of Communications Workers of America, Gilbert Andrew Garcia, Managing Partner, and Al Kashani, President of Horizon United Group as co-grand marshals.
This year’s parade will kick off with Texas Southern University’s beloved Ocean of Soul band, followed by dozens of colorful floats, marching bands, and special surprises.
The mayor is encouraging people to wear face masks and to get vaccinated, boosted, and tested for COVID-19 before participating in the parade or lining up downtown to watch it.
