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MLK DAY - In a stunning reversal, the Los Angeles Police Commission has rescinded the permit granted earlier this year to the Congress of Racial Equality of California (CORE-CA) to produce the 41st Annual Kingdom Day Parade on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2026. Instead, the permit has been handed to Bakewell Media, a company owned by politically connected developer and Sentinel publisher Danny Bakewell, Sr.
CORE-CA has produced the Kingdom Day Parade for four decades, building what the Los Angeles Sentinel itself has described as “the largest and longest running Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Birthday Celebration in the nation.” The parade has become a signature Los Angeles tradition, drawing national attention, community pride, and economic activity every January.
Political Influence and Controversy
The decision was made by Police Commission President Teresa Sanchez-Gordon, a recent appointee of Mayor Karen Bass who was elevated to commission president on September 9, 2025. Sanchez-Gordon, acting unilaterally, pulled the permit from CORE-CA despite the group’s 40-year track record of organizing the parade and instead awarded it to Bakewell Media, which has no known experience producing parades.
Mr. Bakewell has long been described as a political “kingmaker.” A 2022 Los Angeles Times article noted his behind-the-scenes role in shaping City Hall leadership, including advising then-Mayor Eric Garcetti on the selection of a police chief. Critics say the Police Commission’s sudden reversal raises troubling questions about political favoritism and the independence of the permitting process.
CORE-CA Pushes Back
CORE-CA has filed an appeal to the Los Angeles Police Permit Review Panel, calling the Commission’s move unjustified and harmful to the city’s cultural fabric.
“In one fell swoop, Commissioner Sanchez-Gordon has chosen to not only eliminate a unique Los Angeles tradition,” said Nathan Spatz, of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and attorney for CORE-CA, “she is also cancelling one of the most historic and culturally significant brands in Black history.”
Spatz reminded Angelenos that Stevie Wonder — whose anthem “Happy Birthday” and national advocacy were pivotal in establishing the federal MLK holiday — served as the parade’s first Grand Marshal in 1985, a year before the first official observance of Martin Luther King Day. “Together with Stevie Wonder, CORE-CA helped foster national acceptance of MLK Day,” Spatz said.
A Fight for Legacy
“This is more than just a permit to produce a parade — it’s about protecting a tradition and a piece of history that belongs to the entire Los Angeles community, if not the nation,” said Theresa Macellaro, Esq., of The Macellaro Firm, P.C., co-counsel for CORE-CA and Co-Chair of the Multicultural Bar Alliance of Southern California.
Community leaders echoed that sentiment. “It is about protecting one of Los Angeles’ most historic cultural brands — a tradition that drives economic activity, anchors Black history, and honors Dr. King’s legacy,” said Dr. Shain Hymon, educator and community advocate.
Dr. Hymon also issued a direct plea to Bakewell himself:
“If you truly want to stand in Dr. King’s tradition, then do the right thing: step back from this takeover, respect the 41-year legacy built by Dr. Dove and CORE, and show the community that principle matters more than power.”
What’s Next
The Permit Review Panel is expected to hear CORE-CA’s appeal in the coming weeks. The group is urging members of the public to attend, voice their concerns, and stand in support of preserving the Kingdom Day Parade’s legacy under the stewardship of its original organizers.
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