For the first time in over a decade, ILWU Locals marched in a show of strength at the Los Angeles Kingdom Day parade to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This year’s parade theme was “Equality For All Humanity, Our Next Step.” The three-mile parade route in South-Central Los Angeles started at Western and MLK Boulevard, then went the length of MLK to end at Leimert Park where there was a festival with music, games and food vendors. The event attracted thousands of participants and spectators, and was broadcast live on three local television stations.
Approximately 75 ILWU members from Locals 13, 94 and 56 participated in the parade which was led by the ILWU Local 10 Drill Team who travelled from the Bay Area to participate. Local 13 member Geraldine Hecker-Popov and Local 13 Executive Board member Melon Caesar co-organized the event. Local 13 provided funding that paid for special t-shirts, along with ILWU caps and snacks for the marchers. A bus that transported members from the ILWU Memorial Hall in Wilmington to the parade area was provided by Los Angeles Supervisor Janice Hahn. Hecker-Popov said she attended the Kingdom Day parade last year with her children where she saw other unions participating but not the ILWU. She was determined to make sure that the ILWU had a presence this year.
Hecker-Popov says she learned to be an activist at an early age while growing up in the housing projects of San Pedro. “When I see something wrong, I have to make it right,” she said. “Dr, King was an honorary member of Local 10. He fought for racial justice, Civil Rights and for workers’ rights, just like the ILWU always has. Especially with all that is going on in this country right now, I felt it was important for our union to have a presence honoring his legacy.”
She brought the issue to the Local 13 Executive Board and membership meeting. Both bodies approved supporting the Local’s participation in the parade.
Ceaser said participation in the parade is part of an effort build a stronger awareness of the ILWU in Los Angeles. “The ILWU is well known in the harbor-area, but not a lot of people in this part of LA knows who we are,” she said.
ILWU Local 56 Dispatcher Antonio Andrade was among the contingent of 10 shipscalers who attended the march.
It was an early start for ILWU members who gathered at the Memorial Hall at 6:45AM for a 7:30 AM departure. Before boarding the bus, Local 13-member Reverend Henry Pollard Jr., led the group in prayer.
After a long wait in the staging area, the ILWU contingent started marching with Local 10’s Drill Team delighting the crowd along the route. Spectators cheered at their performance and joined in with chants of “I-L-W-U.”
Auxiliary 8 President Ida Taylor was honored by the Local at the march for her years of service to the Federated Auxiliary. Taylor served for two terms as the Federated Auxiliary President and 11 years as President of Auxiliary 8. She rode along the parade route in a convertible Mini-Cooper.
ILWU Local 56 Dispatcher Antonio Andrade was among the contingent of 10 shipscalers who attended the march – about 20% of the small local’s membership. Andrade said that more members would have attended, but everyone else was working.
“It’s important that we show up to these events and show our support and solidarity with our fellow ILWU members,” Andrade said.
Ceaser said that she plans on having the ILWU participate in the parade again next year.
“Eventually, I want us to have a float,” she said. “Next year our presence is going to be even bigger and better.”
