BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore’s mayor has retreated from a plan to replace a long-running parade honoring Martin Luther King Jr. with what she described as a day of service.
Mayor Catherine Pugh had planned on cancelling next month’s popular parade and launching a day of volunteering that would honor the civil rights leader’s legacy. The city is grappling with numerous struggles including a soaring homicide rate and neighborhoods suffering from generational poverty.
But the plan has been met with numerous complaints in the majority-black city. Over 1,000 people signed a petition asking for the mayor to reinstate the city parade, which attracts a number of marching bands.
Pugh told local media Tuesday that she heard people’s concerns and vowed to hold both the parade and the day of service.
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