UIW Participates in 39th Annual San Antonio MLK March

On Monday, Jan. 19, members of the Incarnate Word community participated in the City of San Antonio's 39th annual Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. March. Students, faculty, staff and more represented the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) at one of the nation's largest MLK march that honors the late civil rights activist, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Led by the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability (ECCLS), over 200 Incarnate Word members joined the march, making it UIW's largest participating group. Surrounded by hundreds of thousands of marchers, neighbors marched side-by-side as they reflected on MLK's legacy and advocated for civil, social and other prominent issues impacting present-day society.

"UIW's participation in the MLK March this year reflects our continued commitment to developing global leaders who take social justice personally and act on it collectively," shared ECCLS Assistant Director of Leadership and Global Engagement Teofilo Reyes Jr. "This year, there was a clear sense of urgency-UIW Cardinals with the San Antonio community showed up not out of tradition alone, but because they feel a real need to be seen, heard and engaged in shaping what comes next. Moments like this remind us that connecting local action to global responsibility starts with showing up together and refusing to remain indifferent."

UIW community members marched from Martin Luther King Jr. Academy to Pittman-Sullivan Park, carrying UIW banners and signs depicting MLK and messages calling for change. It was a day that demonstrated a collective desire to shape a just and accepting world for all, regardless of differences.

For many participating UIW students, this was their first time participating in the march. Many were pleased and grateful for their experiences, leaving with unforgettable memories and observations.

"It was the first time I attended the MLK March, and it was empowering to see and hear so many people come together to speak about Martin Luther King jr. and the legacy he left behind," shared Christina M. Cortes, UIW sophomore. "To hear so many people celebrating his life rather than being angry that his life was taken was incredible. The feeling of community that the march had was unlike anything I have ever experienced, and I look forward to many more."

"Going into the MLK March I didn't really know what to expect because it was my first time going," said Vincent Hernandez, a UIW sophomore. "I initially thought it was going to be a small parade with maybe a couple hundred participants, but to my surprise I was completely wrong, in a good way. What I saw on MLK Drive was thousands and thousands of people marching in unity … They decided to show up for a cause, a cause that's been shaping America for the last sixty years, the civil rights movement and carrying out MLK Jr's dream … I remember after about an hour of marching we were on top of a hill and it gave us a view of the people in front of us; there were so many people I couldn't even see the next street over. That was when I realized that this cause is bigger than I realized, and that all it takes for a problem to be solved is a collective group of people going after the same thing."