Friday, December 8, 2023

UTSA remembers Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

(Jan. 17, 2019) -- Roadrunners from diverse backgrounds will commemorate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s life and legacy this month through a series of campus and community engagement activities. A Baptist minister, King was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, encouraging nonviolent activism to inspire and effect peace and racial equality.

All UTSA students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families are invited and encouraged to walk together at the city’s 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. March, the largest in the nation. The 2.75-mile march is scheduled at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 21 and begins at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, 3501 Martin Luther King Dr. UTSA will offer free shuttle rides to those who register. Buses will leave Main Campus at 8:15 a.m. from Brackenridge Ave. Lot 1 in front of the Convocation Center and at 8:45 a.m. from the Durango Lot at the Downtown Campus.

            >> See the MLK, Jr. March route details.

UTSA President Taylor Eighmy will be marching with UTSA students, faculty and staff, as will Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy and Myron Anderson, UTSA’s inaugural Vice President for Inclusive Excellence.

Brittnye Dione Screws, a UTSA graduate student majoring in higher education administration, reflected on why marching on behalf of the UTSA community is so important to her.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked tirelessly to ensure the world realized that "all (wo)men are created equal" and demanded they be treated as such,” Screws said. “It was his influence that caused racial discrimination and unfair labor laws to be made illegal in America. We as UTSA Roadrunners, should never forget that his dedication and sacrifice led to the opening of minority serving institutions such as Hispanic Serving Institutions like UTSA.”

UTSA’s consistently large participation in the march is an extension of the institutional focus on developing world-engaged civic leaders and a reflection of the university’s commitment to multicultural inclusion. Freshman sociology major Josh Peck sees that future as he heads into the march.

“Remembering and celebrating the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is important because it gives us time to reflect on the struggle both for equality under the law and the right to vote,” Peck said. “Without the courage, heart and community that Dr. King inspired, we wouldn't be where we are today. By celebrating him, we don't only honor his legacy, we inspire a new generation to continue his fight for justice.”

UTSA's MLK Jr. March Planning Committee was chaired by Karla Broadus, UTSA senior lecturer and director of the UTSA African American Studies program, and included faculty and staff from African American Studies, Student Affairs, the President's Office, the Office of Information Technology, the Music Department, Community Engagement and Inclusion, the Institute for P-20 Initiatives and the Honors College.

“With UTSA being home of a diverse student body, it is important to gather to remember the work of Dr. King Jr., because without him I wouldn’t be able to learn amongst several of my peers,” said Jordann Thomas, a UTSA junior majoring in public health.

UTSA t-shirts are available for marchers at the Main and Downtown Campus shuttle bus locations and all participants are asked to proudly wear UTSA orange for the march.

For the third year in a row, John Nix, associate professor in the UTSA Department of Music, is promoting the vocal community outreach project called “America Sings Together.” On Monday at 11 a.m., people across San Antonio and the nation will pause at the same time to sing portions of “Amazing Grace” and “We Shall Overcome” as a sign of unity to honor Dr. King’s legacy.

“It’s about getting people of all races and religions to stop and sing together in honor of one of our country’s greatest leaders,” said Nix. “Many of the concerns raised by the civil rights movement are still serious problems. As a country, we need to keep working to make Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘Dream’ a reality for all Americans.”

Last year, Nix says people in 27 cities participated in this singing movement and he hopes even more do so this year.

The UTSA African American Studies Program is also presenting the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture Series on Wednesday, January 30 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Union Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02). The UTSA and San Antonio community are invited to hear Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough, who was honored as 2014 Historically black colleges and universities President of the Year. Kimbrough is known as the "hip hop President," encouraging free speech on college campuses. Additionally, UTSA MLK, Jr. 2017 Scholarship Winner Genesis Cogle will address the audience during the lecture. The UTSA Women's Choir will provide a musical tribute for the program, which is free and open to the public.


Learn more about San Antonio's MLK Jr. March.

Learn more about UTSA's participation in the march by calling the UTSA Student Leadership Center at 210-458-7967.

Share your UTSA march photos using the hashtags #UTSA, #UTSAEngaged, #UTSAMarches and #AmericaSingsTogether2019.

Learn more about the UTSA African American Studies Program.

Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.

Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.



UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.


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UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.