San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) will march this weekend to honor Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 42nd annual MLK parade is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 14th at the Embarcadero on Harbor Dr. 

This year’s competition float designed by SDCCE’s welding students under the direction of Master Welder, Mike Bradbury, will feature late artist Rossie Wade, former Treasurer and President of the San Diego Fine Arts Guild. The massive float is 9x20 and has two rotating features, a Rossie Wade sculpture and the other his life’s story, historic to SDCCE and the Southeastern San Diego community. 

Wade cultivated a multicultural assembly during his tenure as an Artist in Residence at the Educational Cultural Complex, SDCCE’s flagship campus. He also created The Black Family sculpture in 1974, a treasured statue and long time symbol of hope in Mountain View. The sculpture was originally made out of wood and has since deteriorated. An additional metal replica made by SDCCE’s welding department will replace The Black Family Sculpture this year, which used to stand in the Mountain View Park.

“The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is deeply significant to our college. We take great pride in the history of the origins of the MLK Parade that was started many years ago by pillars in our community at San Diego College of Continuing Education. I am impressed by this year’s float entry. Rossie Wade is an unsung hero who believed in cultivating the love and essence of the Black family, art, and education for all. We are honored to continue the legacy and tradition of our participation in the MLK Parade,” said SDCCE President Dr. Tina M. King, who will march proudly in the parade with her family and colleagues.

Tuition-free welding certificate programs and classes take place at SDCCE. Students prepare to enter the workforce in the welding, shipping and aerospace industries and participate in the MLK float building as a real-world experience.

To further the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. SDCCE’s 2024 float and past float entries will be memorialized at the Educational Cultural Complex on Ocean View Blvd as part of the college’s Civil Rights history museum and $35 million state renovation grant. The California Commission to establish Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a federal holiday and performances by Civil Rights leader Coretta Scott King, award-winning artist and humanitarian Stevie Wonder, and Civil Rights activist and American poet Maya Angelou took place at the Educational Cultural Complex theater.

Media opportunities of students fabricating the float are available this week at the Educational Cultural Complex (4343 Ocean View Blvd. 92113) as well as on the morning of the parade.

###

Established in 1914, San Diego College of Continuing Education is the adult education division of the San Diego Community College District. It was one of the first community college continuing education institutions in California to meet the standards for independent accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Approximately 20,000 students are served per academic year at seven campuses in San Diego. Noncredit classes and career training are available at no cost, including online options. Classes are free because San Diego College of Continuing Education is part of the California system of higher education. Funding also comes through business and industry partnerships.