From 1954 until 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the only church where MLK pastored and the site where he began his Civil Rights activism.

Dr King’s dream was fundamentally Christian. His commitment to radical love had everything to do with his commitment to Jesus of Nazareth, and his dream had everything to do with community.

The MLK Praise Fest is the Parade Foundation’s acknowledgement of the fact that Dr. King was first and foremost a man of God. The Praise Fest will bring together music and entertainment from around the Bay Area in celebration of our community’s spirit, joyful worship, and the continuation of Dr. King’s dream, conceived in love.