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San Antonio, a city where Black residents make up just about 7% of the population, marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an annual march that’s grown from humble origins into one of the country’s largest. Hundreds of thousands marched nearly three miles on the East Side of San Antonio on Monday to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy.
The first march took place in 1968, just days after King’s assassination. Organized by Reverend Raymond Aaron Callies Sr., it drew just 10 people, who walked about a mile and a half from Trinity Baptist Church to what is now the Martin Luther King Plaza, where they laid a wreath in his honor.
Over time, the march took on added significance for San Antonio’s East Side. Rev. Callies continued the event as a way to draw attention to neighborhood needs in an area where most residents are Black or African American. The city eventually began supporting the march, and after nearly four decades of city backing, it now honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while also advocating for broader civil rights.
This year’s theme was “Diversity unites us, love leads us, and action propels us.”
The march itself was loud and lively. Participants walked, biked, and roller skated along the route. Music blasted every few blocks, as marchers danced and carried signs quoting King’s words.
March attendee Kristina Welzien rode the VIA bus with her eight-year-old son, his friend, and his friend’s mom to be dropped off near the start of the march at 10 a.m.
“My son was actually born in Uganda, and so this walk is very special to me,” Welzien said. “And if it weren’t for fighters like MLK, our sons wouldn’t be able to be friends, and they wouldn’t be in school together. And times are really scary. And just, you know, grateful for the good people.”
The Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers were among the many groups taking part. Their president, Larry Carter, said the march is a reminder of national unity.
“It shows that we are still together — that Washington doesn’t run the whole country. The people run the country. Simple as that,” Carter said.
Those who didn’t march lined the route to cheer on participants. Norma Crawford stood with a group from Message Church, handing out bottled water from a delivery truck. Within the first hour, they had already given out more than 20 cases. Crawford said she was there using language popularized during the Trump campaign to describe her view of the country’s ideals.
“(I am here to) make America great again. His ‘make America great’, not the one they got now,” Crawford said. “(King) had a dream that all people are created and treated the same.”
Kenneth Bell has attended the march with his twin sister, Karen Leija, since they were children. He said their parents taught them the importance of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s roots and legacy within the Black community — and of remembering the rights King fought for.
Bell said losing sight of that history risks losing hard-won progress.
“Equity and inclusion, that’s the roots of everything. And in the Black community, we’re still not a majority. We are a minority. And if we forget about equity inclusion, we’re generally the first ones to get left behind,” Bell said. “When you look at moving forward with generations, I have kids, I want to see them grow up in a world where they don’t have to worry about the things I had to worry about. As I didn’t have to worry about the things that my parents had to worry about. And it should keep getting better and better. If that happens, it gets better for everybody.”
Many schools such as Trinity University, St. Phillips College, and San Antonio Community College took part in the march. Student Sarah Sanchez was there with Alamo Colleges. She lives in New Braunfels and made sure to drive down for the march.
“This march matters to me to show the community that we are really here, that we understand, and that we are here to support one another,” Sanchez said.
Organizations such as the Students of Service were there as well. Josh Duelm had been to the MLK march several times over the years, but this was his first time as an employee of Students of Service, a nonprofit that fosters youth civic engagement.
“I’m out here today to show my support for freedom and my love for San Antonio. I think the march is great because it’s inclusive of everyone,” Duelm said. “It lifts up all of our voices, and we’re stronger together, and we need that in this time of division. As MLK said, ‘only light can drive out darkness.'”
Great Job Ivanna Bass Caldera, Jack Morgan & the Team @ Texas Public Radio for sharing this story.
