Photo from City of St. Pete’s 2025 MLK Day Parade (edited by Isis Climes)
Following a three-month push to organize what was once the largest MLK Day parade in the nation, Samantha Harris, President of the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival (TBCGF), has successfully met the goal of welcoming at least 100 groups to participate in this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade.
Harris had the momentous task of recruiting at least 100 groups for the 39th Annual St. Pete MLK Parade – The Power of A Dream. As of now, 106 participants will be present on Monday, January 19th, by floats, bikes, vehicles, and other modes of transportation.
“Reaching more than 100 participants was truly a community effort. We leaned into trusted relationships, including churches, civic organizations, small and large businesses, shared the opportunity with our TBCGF mailing list, etc.,” said Harris.
The city of St. Petersburg issued a request for proposals for a new administrator/organizer to run the St. Pete MLK Parade last summer. Harris pitched to Boyzell Hosey, co-founder of the Collard Green Festival and coordinator of the MLK parade, to submit a proposal for the position.
Hosey said he was initially hesitant to take on the challenge of organizing the parade.
“It’s a lot of work, and I just thought about, ‘wow, can we actually pull this off’…With the idea of putting together a team, even though it would be hard work, if we were able to pull this off, then perhaps we can do it,” said Hosey on a recent episode of the Ray Tampa Podcast.
Harris and Hosey’s proposal won the bid, and they were awarded a three-year contract to run the St. Pete MLK Day parade.
“This event serves as a powerful reminder that unity and purpose are still very much alive,” said Harris.
Some notable groups that will be present:
-City of St. Pete council members and Mayor Ken Welch
-Pinellas County Urban League
-Talladega College
-Woodson African American Museum of Florida
-John Hopkins All Children
Participants from churches, schools, bands, and St. Petersburg city workers will also be present during the mile-and-a-half walk.
The parade starts at 11 a.m. and travels east to west on 1st Avenue South, starting at 3rd Street South. Information about the parade and the destination’s map can be found at https://www.stpetemlkparade.com/.
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More Photos
Photo from Samantha Harris showcasing Talladega College
Photo from City of St. Pete’s 2025 MLK Day Parade (edited by Isis Climes)
Photo from City of St. Pete’s 2025 MLK Day Parade
