A Beautiful Day

Putting aside the drama: Houston's dueling Martin Luther King Day parades both draw crowds

Houston's unique Martin Luther King Day tradition of multiple competing parades continues.

The Black Heritage Society's 36th Annual "Original" MLK Birthday Parade and the 20th Annual MLK Grande Parade — dueling parades celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — drew thousands of spectators Monday.

The battling parades are the result of a disagreement in the mid-1990s over which group should hold the parade, ending with the Grande Parade choosing to host its own event separately. The divide between the groups remains, but both parades serve to honor the incredible legacy of the civil rights activist.

The Black Heritage Society's parade, which took place from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., ran from from Minute Maid Park to the MacGregor neighborhood in South Houston. The parade was followed by a community festival at Discovery Green.

According to Sylvester Brown, project manager at the Black Heritage Society, the society's parade was initially commissioned 30 years ago by Martin Luther King, Sr. "Daddy King served as our first grand marshal. He commissioned our organization to hold a birthday parade in honor of his son January 21, 1978 and we've held that parade ever since then," he tells KTRH News Radio.

The divide between the groups remains, but both parades serve to honor the incredible legacy of the civil rights activist.

The competing Grande Parade ran from noon to 2 p.m., heading north down San Jacinto St. at Elgin St. and extending to Webster St.

Organizer Charles Stamps notes that the Grande Parade featured "more than 300 culturally diverse performing groups" and was "led by the University of Houston marching band, Texas Southern marching band and Texas A&M Prairie View marching band."

Both parades mark the end of a weekend of festivities that included competing children's parades, as well as other events like Black Hertitage Society's community health fair and youth concert and Grande Parade's "Battle of the Bands" competition.

In spite of the years-long disagreement the groups have had with one another — now particularly over who gets to the prime downtown route for their parade — both parades successfully bring thousands of community members together to honor the mission of Dr. King.

Black Heritage Society "Original" MLK Parade members show their support for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Black Heritage Society of Houston Original MLK Parade members of crowd holding signs January 2014

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Black Heritage Society "Original" MLK Parade members show their support for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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have more patience

Texas drivers are the 2nd worst in the nation for road rage, study finds

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

It may be tempting to lose your temper behind the wheel, but it's not really worth it.

While Texas is one of the best states to drive in, apparently Texans need to pay more attention to their speeding habits and check their tempers. The Lone Star State has landed on top of a new list of states with the worst drivers in 2025.

The unlucky ranking comes in a new report by personal injury law firm Easton Law Offices, which analyzed driver data – including road rage incidents, speeding, fatal crashes, and more – to determine the top 10 states with the worst drivers.

Overall, Florida was ranked the No. 1 state with the worst drivers in the nation, and Texas followed close behind in second place.

According to the report's findings, Texas had 2.5 road rage incidents and 7.2 aggressive driving fatal accidents reported for every 100,000 residents from 2014 to 2023. Aggressive and careless driving behavior was cited in 37.4 percent of all accidents, and it was a factor in 38.8 percent of all fatalities.

Additionally, 1.2 speeding violations were reported in the state for every 100,000 residents.

Texas has previously been ranked the second most dangerous state for young drivers, in 2023.

But it's not just typical vehicle drivers that need to exercise more patience when getting behind the wheel – motorcyclists also need to be on high alert while on the road, and remember to wear their helmets.

"Texas also has a high rate of total vehicle crashes (3,966) and motorcycle fatalities (558), with a sizable 37.32 percent of motorcycle deaths occurring among unhelmeted drivers," the report said.

Houston drivers specifically have been called out in previous years for their less-than-stellar driving habits, and Memorial Day is often one of the deadliest holidays for drivers in the city.

The top 10 states with the worst drivers in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Texas
No. 3 – California
No. 4 – Colorado
No. 5 – Louisiana
No. 6 – Arkansas
No. 7 – Montana
No. 8 – New Mexico
No. 9 – North Carolina
No. 10 – Ohio

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