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The Honorable John Whitmire serves as the 63rd Mayor of Houston, Texas, taking office on January 1, 2024. Prior to assuming the city’s highest executive office, Mayor Whitmire achieved a historic tenure of public service spanning five decades in the Texas Legislature, serving in the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1982 and the Texas Senate from 1983 through 2023, where he served as the Dean of the Texas Senate.

Throughout his distinguished legislative career, Whitmire championed transformative legislation across criminal justice reform, including authoring the Sandra Bland Act, expanding mental health diversions, strengthening public safety infrastructure, and protecting the civil rights and economic vitality of Houston’s diverse communities.

As 2027 Grand Marshal, Mayor Whitmire embodies the unifying spirit of Houston—championing civil rights, public education, and equal opportunity for every neighborhood across the nation's fourth-largest city.

The Honorable Ron Reynolds is currently serving his eighth term as Texas State Representative for District 27, representing Fort Bend County. When first elected in 2010, Representative Reynolds shattered a historic barrier, becoming the first African American elected to the Texas State Legislature from Fort Bend County since the Reconstruction era.

Representative Reynolds is an attorney, managing partner of Brown, Brown & Reynolds, P.C., and an adjunct professor at Texas Southern University. A tireless legislative champion, he has served as Chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, spearheading landmark legislation protecting voting rights, increasing public school funding, advancing environmental justice, and fostering economic development in underserved neighborhoods.

Leading the 2027 MLK Grande Parade as Grand Marshal, Representative Reynolds continues Dr. King’s legacy of civic activism, legislative courage, and community solidarity across the greater Houston region.

Mrs. Beatrice Foots-Duncantell stands at the vanguard of Houston’s civil rights stewardship as the Executive Director of the Black Heritage Society. Continuing the profound, barrier-breaking work founded in 1978 by the late legendary activist Ovide Duncantell, she has dedicated decades to ensuring that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream remains a vibrant, living reality for generations of Texans.

Under her visionary leadership, the Black Heritage Society has fostered cultural education, youth empowerment programs, civil rights preservation, and community solidarity. The annual parade—officially recognized as the very first MLK Day parade established in the United States—stands today as one of the most prominent multicultural celebrations in the nation.

As Co-Host and honored executive leader of the 2027 MLK Unity Parade, Mrs. Foots-Duncantell represents unbroken continuity, resilience, and unwavering dedication to justice, unity, and racial harmony.