Johnathan Peña
Editor-In-Chief
Before the march started, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s voice resonated over the speakers from the M. L. King, Jr. Freedom Bridge, while his influential “I Have A Dream” speech rang out in the brisk, cold air.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio continued its tradition on Jan. 20, of honoring the memory of King by participating in the largest MLK march in the nation.
The cold weather — temperatures ranged from 28 to 33 degrees during the event — did not halt the march as it did last year due to icy roads.
Participants were bundled up in double-layer jackets, coats and pullovers with hand warmers in their pockets to keep their hands from getting cold.
Local churches and vendors were selling donuts, hot chocolate, coffee and homemade baked goods to support the Eastside community.
Dr. Juan Guardia Vice President of Student Affairs said it is important for A&M-San Antonio and the San Antonio community to participate in the march.
“It’s a great testament to Dr. King’s message, but I think as a public institution and as faculty, staff and students who attend a public institution, I think it’s a part of our due diligence to be a part of these events,” Guardia said.
Janet Zulu, a graduate student at A&M-San Antonio and vice president of the Student Government Association, embraces the impact the march has on the community by having local organizations and universities participate.
“It’s always important to see who shows up to these events; our university is very diverse so it made me feel good seeing our campus organize a group of students,” Zulu said.
VIA provided bus services to the march from the Freeman Coliseum and St. Philip’s College to the start of the march at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy.
The streets were filled with gospel music, fraternities and sororities, songs and chants that surrounded the neighborhoods of San Antonio’s Eastside.
The march began at 10 a.m. and ended at Pittman-Sullivan Park, covering 2.5 miles.
About 100,000 participants joined the march, including about 15 students and alumni from A&M-San Antonio. They included families from the neighborhood, visitors from other cities in Texas, church missionaries and college students from other local universities, such as Our Lady of the Lake University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, St. Mary’s University and the Alamo Colleges.
Cyrus Redhouse, a senior and community service manager for the Mays Center at A&M-San Antonio, participated in the march and was happy to see the community’s involvement.
“It is always nice to see the community come together to support this communal event,” Redhouse said. “It’s important to have our university here, especially behind the meaning of the MLK march and considering what our institution stands for, I think it’s important for us to show up.”
Zulu agreed.
“I think it’s important for us to be present because people like me notice our absence in events like this and it reaffirms me that A&M-San Antonio cares about every single person on our campus and making sure MLK’s dream becomes true,” Zulu said.
