Help Honor Black History in Long Beach: Sign the Petition for MLK Park

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park has long been more than a park to the people of Long Beach.

For generations, it has served as a place where families gather, culture is celebrated, history is remembered, and community comes together. It has been home to MLK celebrations, Juneteenth events, youth activities, wellness gatherings, artistic expression, and collective moments of reflection, joy, and resilience within Long Beach’s Black community.

Now, community members are calling on the City of Long Beach to formally designate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park as an African-American Heritage Park.

This designation would help preserve and uplift the park’s cultural and historical significance while creating opportunities for expanded educational programming, public art, beautification, historical interpretation, and long-term investment in the space.

It would also recognize what so many residents already know:
MLK Park is a living part of Black history in Long Beach.

At a time when communities across the country are fighting to protect history, culture, and identity, this effort is about creating a visible and lasting commitment to honoring African-American / Black heritage for future generations.

The vision includes:
• Educational and cultural programming
• Historical signage and storytelling
• Public art and community beautification
• Intergenerational gathering spaces
• Preservation of local Civil Rights history
• Expanded opportunities for partnership and investment

African-American / Black history deserves more than acknowledgment. It deserves a dedicated place where it can be taught, experienced, protected, and celebrated by everyone.

We invite residents, organizations, advocates, and supporters across Long Beach and beyond to stand with us.

Sign the petition today and help make history.