[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13558]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE DEATH OF LARRY GRANT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 10, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, it is my regrettable duty to report the 
death of a great American, Larry Grant. Mr. Grant died on August 22, 
2012 in Torrance, California. He was 86. Perhaps more than any other 
person, Mr. Grant was responsible for founding the parade commemorating 
Dr. Martin Luther King that was the first in Los Angeles and became one 
of the largest in the nation.
  Mr. Grant was instrumental in starting the Kingdom Day Parade where 
thousands of spectators lined the streets to celebrate civil rights 
leader Dr. King. With a deep love for his country, Mr. Grant was driven 
by passion to create a platform to showcase past and present black 
leaders in the community and hopefully inspire the youth. Mr. Grant 
traveled the three-mile route in South Los Angeles with a procession of 
colorful floats, marching bands and dance troupes trailing behind.
  Mr. Grant created the yearly event as an entertaining way to unite 
the community. It also became a means of mending wounds. In the 
aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when tensions were still thick 
between Korean store owners and black residents, Grant appointed a 
Korean taekwondo master to serve as co-chair.
  Mr. Grant was one of the pioneers of Black bankers in the State of 
California. After serving 20 years in the Army, including World War II 
and the Korean War, he earned a degree in banking from the University 
of Maryland. He was the President and CEO of Pacific Coast Bank in San 
Diego, California where he started banking in 1964 until his retirement 
in 1984.
  In 1979, his colleagues encouraged Mr. Grant to form the nonprofit 
National Cultural Corp. A year later Mr. Grant threw the first King 
parade in San Diego, before the civil rights activist's birthday was 
recognized as a national holiday. Mr. Grant was eager to bring the 
parade's success to Los Angeles. On January 20, 1986, Los Angeles 
hosted the first Kingdom Day Parade. It was also the first year that 
King's birthday was celebrated as a federal holiday.
  I remember fondly Mr. Grant's devotion to keeping the legacy of Dr. 
King alive through the annual Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles. He 
earned the love and respect from countless people through his selfless 
acts. Mr. Grant was a leader in the community and was instrumental in 
sharing Dr. King's philosophy with future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in memory of Larry Grant.

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