Tim Bradley to lead Palm Springs Black History Month parade

Deep into his training camp, Cathedral City’s Timothy Bradley was more than happy to take time out of his schedule to be the grand marshal of Saturday’s Black History Month parade because “it runs deep in my roots.”

The parade begins at 11 a.m. and runs up the Palm Springs strip, starting at Arenas Road and ending at Alejo. Afterward, a town fair runs from noon to 6 p.m. at Frances Stevens Park on 500 N. Palm Canyon.

Bradley, the undefeated WBO welterweight champion, grew up in north Palm Springs and his family attended the parade annually. It was an event everyone looked forward to. For the weekend, it will be a chance for Bradley to reunite with friends.

“It runs deep in my roots, it runs in my bloodline,” Bradley said. “Everyone got amped up for this parade and this big celebration every single year since I was a kid. This is amazing they’ve been keeping this tradition going on every year and I’m glad to be a part of it.

“My sisters and cousins and family and friends, everyone was involved with this parade. It’s a big celebration for Black History Month with a lot of entertainment.”

The interaction of everyone in the community is another aspect Bradley loves about the parade. One of Bradley’s family friends is James Rougley, who helped organize the parade in the past and was a positive role model when Bradley was a child.

“When we were away from home, he was a father figure,” Bradley said of Rougley, who today is his strength and conditioning coach. “He used to tell us, you have no reason to fail or be in the same place. You are somebody. It doesn’t matter about the color of your skin or where you come from. You’re somebody and you can make something of yourself. He preached that to us at a young age and that stuck with us. It stuck with me. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Mr. Rougley.”

Bradley will serve as the grand marshal between two training sessions Saturday as he prepares for his April 12 title defense against Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. Bradley said he has an early morning workout, and another one after the parade.

This is the second time the 30-year-old Bradley has served as the grand marshal. Bradley said the first time was in 2009, just after he won his first world title.

“It was awesome. I felt like I made it,” Bradley said. “The people, especially from the black community, were proud of what I had done.”

http://www.mydesert.com/