HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The City of Houston hosted the first MLK Unity Parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at 10 a.m.
The event was free and open to the public.
The unified parade marks a departure from past years, where two separate events, the Original MLK Parade and the MLK Grande Parade, were held to celebrate the civil rights icon.
“What you’re going to see on January 19 is going to be something that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. It’s never happened before. We’ve also created a template that other cities are following as we speak because they’ve never seen anything like it before,” said Charles Stamps with the parade.
Stamps previously worked with the MLK Grande Parade, having founded it. That event dated back to 1995 and happened in Midtown.
The Original MLK Parade, which preceded the MLK Grande Parade and was organized through the Black Heritage Society, was created even earlier in 1978 by civil rights activist Ovide Duncantell.
Former Mayor Sylvester Turner named Duncantell’s event the official parade for Houston in 2018.
Now, the organizers of both sides collaborated for the first time.
“It will be a historic day in the City of Houston,” said Mayor Whitmire when news of the united parade was first announced in November. “I ran for mayor to unite our city, and this celebration of unity in January will be a perfect opportunity to honor Dr. King’s legacy and greatness. I can’t think of a better way to acknowledge his contributions than by hosting the best parade ever.”
According to organizers, the parades are uniting as one “to present a powerful message of peace, purpose, and progress in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy.”
The 2026 grand marshals are:
- Radio personality Madd Hatta
- MLK Grande Parade President Charles Stamps
- Houston Mayor John Whitmire
Special guests included Rev. Dr. Derek King, a nephew of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Jeffrey Peck, the great-grandson of W.E.B Du Bois.
Debora Nixon, RN, and retired Houston Fire Department firefighter Freddie Jackson are listed as co – grand marshals.
The MLK Unity Parade started on Lamar Street in downtown Houston. It included college and high school marching bands, floats, community groups, cultural organizations, and more.
You can get a larger view of the map here.
The city says METRO rides would be complimentary to get to the parade.
The three rail lines took riders into the heart of downtown and the parade route. Trains are expected to run every few minutes.
Many local bus routes also connect directly to the downtown area. You can check routes and schedules on the METRO website.
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