BALTIMORE – Today, Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) issued the following statement regarding the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) announcement cancelling Baltimore City’s Martin Luther King Jr. Parade for the third year in a row. In their news release, BOPA suggested Baltimoreans volunteer or make a donation to a cause in the spirit of Dr. King’s devotion to acts of service.
"I am concerned and disappointed by today’s announcement. It is disrespectful to tell entire communities that there won’t be an MLK parade less than two weeks before the celebration of his birthday and equally disrespectful to suggest that he can’t be celebrated through both a day of service and a community parade. BOPA is going down the wrong path by making this decision, thereby setting the stage for there never to be an MLK celebration parade again in Baltimore. It's disgraceful," said Congressman Mfume.
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