Every year, San Antonio’s Martin Luther King Jr. March breaks attendance records, according to its lead organizer.
Organized by the City of San Antonio’s MLK Commission and now in its 32nd year, the local march has gained the reputation of being the country’s largest. Organizers estimate that last year’s MLK march drew more than 300,000 attendees, and they expect this year’s attendance to match or surpass that number.
Nathaniel Davis, who has served as head of the MLK Commission for three years but been involved with the march for more than 25, said people frequently ask him why San Antonio’s march is so large, but he still doesn’t have a conclusive answer.
“The only answer I can give you is the uniqueness of San Antonio,” said Davis, 62. “The people of San Antonio have shown they are receptive to the teachings and legacy of Dr. King and believe in peace and justice for all. Our hope is we support [his ideas] 365 days a year instead of one — keep people aware of social issues, continue the struggle, and continue the fight.”
The march is a 2.75-mile walk through the historic East Side, starting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and ending at Pittman-Sullivan Park, where many attendees gather afterwards to enjoy food and hear speakers. This year, the MLK Commission recruited Shaun King, an activist who uses his social media platform and columns with The Intercept and The Appeal to highlight social justice issues, to give the keynote speech, a move Davis said aims to draw more youth to the march.
“Most of the time we [invite] civil rights leaders, but we wanted to get a speaker that reaches a younger audience,” Davis said. “A lot of people my age don’t [know who he is]. That’s OK, they’ll find out.”
Every year, local and state dignitaries attend, linking arms and marching together. Mike Etienne, who serves as the City’s executive liaison to the MLK Commission, said marchers can expect regulars like Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, and State Sen. José Menéndez among them this year, but also should watch for U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Reps. Will Hurd and Joaquín Castro, and recently announced candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Julián Castro.
VIA Metropolitan Transit is offering free rides from two park-and-ride locations to the march’s beginning point. Davis said he highly encourages attendees to take advantage of VIA’s services, as thousands of people will be trying to find parking in the area.
From 8 to 10 a.m., VIA will pick up people at the Freeman Coliseum, 3201 E. Houston St., and St. Philip’s College, 1801 Martin Luther King Dr., and will shuttle them back to those two park-and-ride lots between noon and 3 p.m.
Though the route is relatively short, Davis estimates it will take marchers about an hour and a half to complete, so he recommends wearing comfortable walking shoes and a jacket. He encourages attendees to arrive by 9:30 a.m. so the march can get underway by 10 a.m. There will be water stations at the beginning, middle, and end points of the march. Davis and Etienne said while strollers and wheelchairs are allowed, marchers are asked to leave bicycles and pets at home.
“It’s gotten so large that we’re always concerned about safety,” Davis said. “We want to make sure everyone is delivered from Point A to Point B.”
The MLK Commission is organizing three weekend events leading up to the march, Etienne said. The first is a youth summit, Saturday at 9 a.m. at Sam Houston High School.
“Dr. King was about empowering youth as well,” Etienne said.
On Sunday, the commission is asking local leaders and organizations to bring a wreath to lay at the feet of King’s statue at Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza. Colette Pierce Burnette, president of the Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, will deliver a keynote speech at the 2 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. interfaith service at Second Baptist Church, 3310 E. Commerce St.
“It’s a beautiful service that includes prayers from many different faiths,” including Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, and the Baptist denomination, Etienne said.
Monday’s forecast predicts sunny weather with a 10-percent chance of rain, so the march shouldn’t be affected.
But no matter the weather, Etienne said, “The march goes on, rain or shine.”
When my health was better me and my family marched almost annually.
My only criticism of the march is that it should go beyond Dr. King’s birthday. It should include demands for addressing income disparity, affordable housing, an end to unjustified war and police brutality. The organizers should also seriously consider having the march in downtown San Antonio where it would be more effective politically.
In all the years that Civil Rights Community Garden founder and activist Otis Thompson has advocated for the March route to come from downtown to MLK Park, so that a time of fellowship could be extended, there has been no serious consideration to do so–perhaps in part dues to Mr. Thompson’s abrasive and sometimes profane way of expressing opinions. But it would certainly make practical and symbolic sense, to no longer be marching “on downtown” but to bring participants back from the urban center into the neighborhood. In that sense it would be interesting to do as the YMCA does with SicloVia and March into different areas every year–although certainly a logistically nightmare or those planning security.
When the MLK Commission changed the route several years ago to end at Pittman-Sullivan Park rather than the intersection of Houston Street and New Braunfels Avenue, that indicated the Commission is open to making practical changes; as did the addition of a VIA Trans vehicle to the route (for one year) for Marchers who were not physically able to complete the route otherwise.
Even though this is the largest such March in the world, there is room for more inclusivity of those who have never attended. Why are the postcards and flyers promoting the MLK Commission events distributed at only the YMCA and library nearest the March routes rather than made available to YMCA branches and branch libraries citywide? Limiting the area where the March is promoted gives the impression that not everyone is equally welcome to participate, even though this is not true.
Mr. Valdez:
Yes, there are many issues of disparity to be addressed. It grieves me that City Council members from a few districts in San Antonio persistently fail to appoint representatives to their district’s allocated spots on City boards and commissions.
For example:
District 2 City Councilmember appointed 30 people to the MLK Commission, and this was approved by Council even though the District 2 has 20 allocated spots. Yet District 2 City Council has not appointed people to represent the district on some City boards and commissions. Some spots allocated for District 2 have been vacant for years. Wouldn’t it be better to, instead of appointing those extra 10 people to the MLK Commission, instead appoint each of them to fill a vacancy where District 2 continues to be unrepresented month after month, year after year, on committees where the other districts are represented?
The article fails to note that:
+ This March has been occurring annually for more than 50 years. This is only the 32nd year that it has been organized by the MLK Commission on its current formal way.
+ The after-party program is an example of denial of civil rights, as access is quite limited for people with physical disabilities. The reporter’s need to state that “wheelchairs are allowed” in the March itself, reflects the reality of how often federal civil rights laws have been ignored by the City of San Antonio. In what other city would such a question even be raised or need to be answered?
Where does the financial support for the march come from?