Roadrunners remember Martin Luther King Jr. at march

JANUARY 21, 2020 — Among the thousands commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. this year at Monday's MLK Day March was a contingent from UTSA. 

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and families marched as a UTSA community to “Dream, Believe, Unite, Do” at the 33rd annual MLK Day March on Jan. 20. 

Sponsored by the City of San Antonio, the march is the largest commemorative march for King in the nation. The 2.75-mile event began at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and traveled up MLK Drive to Pittman-Sullivan Park. 

---

“History tends to repeat itself, and in our effort to improve, we can learn from the civil rights movement led by Dr. King.”

—KARLA BROADUS, Senior Lecturer and Project Coordinator of the African American Studies Program

---

---

UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Espy and Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Myron Anderson marched beside students, faculty and staff. 

UTSA’s MLK Jr. March planning committee was chaired by Karla Broadus, senior lecturer and project coordinator of the African American Studies Program. The committee also included faculty and staff from African American Studies, Office of Inclusive Excellence, Student Leadership Center, Institute of Texan Cultures, Office of Intercultural Programs and Student Engagement, Center for Civic Engagement, University Technology Solutions, UTSA Video Production, President’s Office, and Honor’s College.

“It is beyond important for our UTSA students, faculty and staff to honor the legacy of Dr. King because socially and academically we embrace history as well as social justice,” Broadus said. “History tends to repeat itself, and in our effort to improve, we can learn from the civil rights movement led by Dr. King.” 

---

Roadrunners at the MLK Day March

Previous Next

 

Alexandrea O’Neal, a master’s student in sociology, said it’s important that people come together at events like the MLK March to fight for what’s right. 

“During the civil rights movement in the United States, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the leaders that fought for the equality of African Americans, calling for our community to be treated equally,” O’Neal said. “In this period of time when many people feel emboldened to be racist toward other minorities and make it hard for them to succeed, I feel that it is especially important that more African Americans and their allies take part in this march to fight for the equality that we want to see in our society.”

---

---

On Friday, Jan. 24, UTSA will further honor King with the university's annual MLK Day of Service. Roadrunners are encouraged to participate in the service day, located in various locations, including helping to beautify campus, between 9 a.m. and noon.

---

UTSA’s commemoration of King will continue at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 3 in the Denman Room (SU 2.01.28) with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture, which will feature Peniel Joseph, founding director of the Center for Study of Race and Democracy at The University of Texas at Austin. 

Joseph describes his career focus as “Black Power Studies,” which encompasses African studies, law and society, women’s and ethnic studies, and political science. Joseph has authored several award-winning books, with his most recent, The Sword and The Shield, due out this spring.

— Valerie Bustamante

---

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