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ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a ‘2021 Kingdom Day Celebration’ in Collaboration With the Congress of Racial Equality of California and Presenting Sponsor Blue Shield of California

The Hour-Long Special Includes an Extraordinary Interview with Dr. King’s Son, Martin Luther King III

The Special Airs on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 (11:00 a.m. PST) and Streams Live on the ABC7 Los Angeles App, ABC7’s Connected TV Apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku

ABC7 Los Angeles announces it will air “2021 Kingdom Day Celebration” special on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 (11:00 a.m. PST) to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event, which historically is a live parade that travels down the streets of South Los Angeles, will be an hour-long televised event hosted by ABC7 anchors Leslie Sykes and Rachel Brown. The special is presented by Blue Shield of California with organizing sponsor, Congress Of Racial Equality of California (CORE-CA).

The theme of this year’s Kingdom Day celebration is “Healing America.” According to the parade organizers, the meaning behind the theme is to “say or do only those actions which Dr. King himself would be saying or doing if he were here. Dr. King was about ‘healing and justice.’” 

The celebration includes a special interview with Dr. King’s son, Martin Luther King III. The special will walk viewers down memory lane, highlighting the past Kingdom Day parades, guest appearances, and commentary from previous grand marshals, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. representatives Maxine Waters & Karen Bass, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, performer and producer Debbie Allen, and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, (2017 KDP Grand Marshal). There will also be celebrity guest appearances and interviews with local newsmakers who will share the impact Dr. King’s dream has had on them.  

Viewers can also download the free ABC7 Los Angeles app and stream the celebration on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.

ABC7 Los Angeles is Southern California’s No. 1 local news and information source. ABC7 is a leader in digital and social audience engagements and was the first station in the Los Angeles market to regularly broadcast news in high definition and also the first local television station in the United States to surpass 3 million Facebook followers. The station’s offices and studio are located in Glendale, California.

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Susan G. Komen® Orange County Teams Up With ABC7 for ‘Localish LA: Susan G. Komen Edition’ Special Presentation to Raise Funds and Awareness During Breast Cancer Action Month

Special on October 18 will Feature Messages from Survivors and Komen Leaders, and Community Supporters

IRVINE, Calif., (October 14, 2020) – Susan G. Komen® Orange County, the second largest Komen affiliate in the country, is teaming up locally with ABC7 for a half-hour special “Localish LA: Susan G. Komen Edition” news presentation in honor of Breast Cancer Action Month and the virtual MORE THAN PINK Walk. The special event will air Sunday, October 18 at 6:30 pm PDT, and will raise funds to support Komen breast health services, cancer support programs, and lifesaving research initiatives in Southern California. Every day in Orange County, five women are diagnosed with breast cancer and one woman dies of the disease. This is unacceptable, which is why Komen OC encourages community members to take action this month in support of those battling the disease, metastatic thrivers and survivors.

The television broadcast will include appearances by ABC7 anchors Coleen Sullivan and Jovana Lara as well as “The Bold Type” star Katie Stevens and “A Million Little Things” star James Roday Rodriguez. The broadcast will also feature Komen National CEO Paula Schneider, Kaiser Permanente physicians, and SoCal breast cancer survivors and metastatic thrivers, who will share personal stories and share how we can all take charge of our breast health.

“We are incredibly grateful for the partnership with ABC7 to help us talk about important breast health issues and raise funds during Breast Cancer Action Month,” said Megan Klink, CEO of Susan G. Komen Orange County. “Breast cancer doesn’t stop for a pandemic, and neither do we. This gives us an opportunity to reach a wider audience within our community and share information about breast cancer risks as well as raise vitally important funds for lifesaving research, direct patient support and critical advocacy programs.”

In an interview with KABC-TV, actress Katie Stevens discusses her breast cancer scare and Jane Sloan, the character she plays in “The Bold Type,” who is dealing with a breast cancer gene diagnosis that led to her character having a preventative double mastectomy in the series. “I love getting to tell this story to share with people who might not have a close-knit relationship to cancer … by watching it, they not only see someone who’s going through it but also get the information to take care of themselves.”

The impact of COVID-19, including rising unemployment, quarantines and an overburdened healthcare system, are causing the perfect storm for breast cancer patients who have questions or need care. Funds raised through the televised event will address urgent needs in the Southern California community. The goal is to raise $500,000, as part of the nonprofit’s MORE THAN PINK Walk signature fundraiser, for important programs and services provided to women in Southern California.

Susan G. Komen supports Southern California patients, caregivers and survivors with resources including patient navigation, research, wigs, transportation, diagnostics services, education and financial assistance. Tune in on Sunday, October 18 at 6:30 pm, to learn more about how, together with Susan G. Komen, we can all make a difference in our local community.

About Susan G. Komen® and Komen Orange County
Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease.  Komen has set a Bold Goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026.  Komen was founded in 1982 by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life. Komen Orange County is working to better the lives of those that face breast cancer in the local community. Through events like the Komen Orange County MORE THAN PINK Walk, Komen Orange County has invested more than $42 million in community breast health programs and has helped contribute to the more than $920 million invested globally in research.  For more information, visit komenoc.org.

About ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles
Located in Glendale, California, ABC7 Los Angeles is Southern California’s No. 1 local news and information source. A prominent leader in digital and social audience engagements, ABC 7 was the first station in the Los Angeles market to regularly broadcast news in high definition and also the first local television station in the United States to surpass 3 million Facebook followers. The station continues to proudly serve its community with deep partnerships including its exclusive local broadcast of the Los Angeles Rams and LA Pride. An award-winning station, ABC7 was most recently honored with four 2020 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for news coverage, receiving the distinction for Overall Excellence, Breaking News Coverage, Excellence in Video, and Best Newscast; in addition to the 2020 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Breaking News Coverage in Large Market Television.