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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
MLK Day March / 25th Anniversary
January 16, 2012
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The festivities go beyond the one day expressly dedicated to the march and include speakers, award presentations, an annual chess tournament, Hip Hop Youth Summit, classic basketball tournament and an interfaith service.
Each year since 1987, San Antonio residents and visitors -- along with people in cities all over America -- get together and celebrate the life and dream of a great man, Martin Luther King Jr. San Antonio's MLK Day march is the largest in the U.S. 2012 is the 25th Anniversary celebration of the annual MLK Day march.
January 1 to January 30
MLK Jr. Special Tribute in Art, Carver Library
See a display of images honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organized by the San Antonio Ethnic Arts Society.
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Saturday, January 7
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Lecture, 1:00 p.m., Carver Library
Uplifting message honoring the legacy of the slain civil rights leader.
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Saturday, January 14
Hip Hop Summit, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., St. Philip's College
Workshops, panel discussions lunch and musical entertainment.
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16th Annual Memorial Chess Tournament, Competition begins 10:30 a.m., Mission Academy
Unrated five-round Swiss tournament for children K thru 12.
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See Details for the Events Below
Sunday, January 15
Wreath-Laying Ceremony, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza
A solemn ceremony honoring the life, struggles and accomplishments of Dr. King.
Citywide Interfaith Service, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., St. Paul's United Methodist Church
St. Paul's United Methodist Church, organized in 1866 by freed slaves, was the first black congregation in Bexar County. The special Martin Luther King Jr. interfath service welcomes people of all religious faiths to come together and celebrate the life of one of America's heroes.
Monday, January 16
Pre-March Worship Service, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Near the MLK Jr. Academy
A worship service held prior to the march, which starts at 10:00 a.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. March, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., San Antonio East Side
A 2.75 walk starting at the MLK Jr. Academy and ending at Pittman Sullivan Park. Well over 100,000 people attend the march each year. It is the country's largest.
Martin Luther King III, Keynote Speech, 11:30 a.m., Pittman Sullivan Park
The son of the acclaimed civil rights leader will address the people at the conclusion of the march.
Tuesday, January 17
Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, Speaker, Trinity Lecture Series, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Daughter of civil rights leader Malcolm X is the featured speaker at the 2012 Trinity University Martin Luther King, Jr. lecture series.
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About MLK Day in San Antonio
On MLK day more than 100,000 people gather in San Antonio to participate in the biggest MLK march in the country. The procession winds from the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Bridge, down Martin Luther King Drive and finishes in Pittman-Sullivan Park with speakers that have featured celebrated people such as Paul Rusesabagina, whose heroic acts were chronicled in the movie Hotel Rwanda, and Manuel V. Scott, one of the original freedom writers.
A garbage truck and a vintage 1956 bus, similar to the one Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on, lead the procession each year. They are followed by a color guard, dignitaries, and students who all walk through the streets with a hundred thousand people behind them, picking up more as they walk. The mass of people, all in great spirit and carrying inspiring posters, is an astounding sight to see and experience and pays just tribute to the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Visit the official MLK Commemoration site for the city of San Antonio.
If you would like to support the MLK March, annual MLK scholarships, or any of events that will take place, the MLK Commission welcomes the partnership of local and national businesses. Please contact the City of San Antonio MLK Commission staff liaison at 207-2213 for more information.
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