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San Antonio is preparing for what's believed to be the largest Martin Luther King Jr. March in the country this Monday. Two special guests will take the stage at the end of the march.
Olympic gold medalist, gymnast Gabby Douglas, will be the keynote speaker and Grammy award-winner Coco Jones will be the headline singer during the post-march festivities at Pittman-Sullivan Park.
Douglas won gold medals during both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games as part of Team USA. She was the first Black gymnast to win a title during the Olympic games. Her story was portrayed in a 2014 Lifetime movie.
Coco Jones most recently has played the role of Hillary Banks in the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" revival known as "Bel-Air," on Peacock. In 2024 Jones won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance for her song “ICU.”
In years past, upwards of 300,000 people have attended the 2.5-mile march. It begins at 10:00 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19 at the MLK Academy with staging beginning as early as 7:00 a.m. The march ends at Pittman Sullivan Park and continues with a day-long celebration.
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said one of his favorite parts of the day is the feeling of community.
“I think you see exactly who San Antonio is as a community at the MLK March,” he said. So if you come out to the MLK March, you will be in community with those who seek to protect you, who seek to march alongside you, and who seek to further empower and ensure that you always know that San Antonio and the East Side is your home.”
Douglas is expected to speak at noon, and Jones will perform at 2:00 p.m.
Programming at the park will begin as early as 9:30 a.m. for those who are unable to march but would like to attend. VIA Metropolitan Transit will provide free service to those attending the march or Pittman-Sullivan Park.
In addition to the MLK March, several other events are planned for the week.
On Saturday, Jan. 17, an MLK Youth Empowerment Summit is planned at 11:00 a.m. at the Eastside Clubhouse of the Boys and Girls Club of San Antonio.
On Sunday, Jan. 18, there will be a wreath laying ceremony at MLK Plaza starting at 2:00 p.m.
A full schedule of MLK events can be found at the city’s website.
