BALTIMORE — There will be a parade after all on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Mayor Brandon Scott made the decision Sunday night after some were outraged by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts and their announcement last week that a parade wouldn't be held for a third consecutive year.
There will be a MLK Day parade noon on January 16th kicking off at the normal starting point. My focus during the parade will be very simple! #wemuststopkillingeachother
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) January 9, 2023
Previously the organization stated the City would celebrate King’s legacy through a day of service rather than a parade.
The news was not received well by some including Councilman Eric Costello, who chairs the City's Ways and Means Committee.
Costello said the move was a violation of contract, while Congressman Kweisi Mfume called it "disrespectful" and a "disgrace."
The organization then released a follow-up statement claiming they have no authority to cancel the event, and that such decisions were up to the mayor.
RELATED: Baltimore cancels Martin Luther King Jr., Day Parade this year
That led Scott to reverse course on Sunday. With that the Mayor also called for the removal of Donna Drew Sawyer, the organization's Chief Executive Officer.
Scott said he'd lost confidence in her ability to lead citing other past missteps including "the flawed scheduling of Artscape on Rosh Hashanah."
In a letter to the organization Scott demanded that Sawyer step down by January 15, threatening to hand off their responsibilities to other City agencies.
Scott also vowed to not fund the organization or renew their contract unless the change was made.
The parade will be held at noon on January 16 at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street.
