Join Redeemer at San Antonio's MLK March

If you have never attended San Antonio’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. March, you may be unaware that it is the largest in the nation. On average, 300,000 people attend the march each year, starting at the MLK Freedom Bridge on the East Side of San Antonio and following a three-mile route to Pittman-Sullivan Park. This year, Redeemer will participate in this important day in the life of our city, and we invite you to join us. This year’s march takes place on Monday, January 21, 2019.

Redeemer’s Racial Reconciliation Committee, which met for a year concluding in 2018, suggested in its final recommendations that Redeemer formally participate in the march and other “events that promote city unity." 

RPC Associate Pastor Victor Martinez says just as Redeemer seeks to have a faithful public witness to the city through events like Boxes of Blessing and providing backpacks for refugees passing through the downtown bus station, it is appropriate that we stand with our neighbors in calling for a continued pursuit of justice in San Antonio.

“We’re accountable for more than just ‘How did you do church in your city block?’” Martinez says. “We’re still accountable to the call to stand for equality and justice. This is a way for us to tell the city ‘We want to stand for justice.’ If you’re not there, you can’t be part of the dialogue.”

The march brings together community organizations, schools, branches of city government, churches and advocacy groups from a wide variety of political and social perspectives. While Redeemer members may not agree with the philosophy of every group participating in the march or any other large citywide event, Martinez says that it is an opportunity for faithful presence.

“Sometimes walking and being present is what gives context to the truth,” he says. “A truth without presence, without being there, is not true. It’s just a slogan, and so being there validates and gives context to the truth. We don’t give up our convictions by being present. You give it context and give yourself a place where you can learn.”

Martinez encourages Redeemer members to attend the march with an expectation of meeting new people and groups and being open to conversations about the concerns of our city.

“When you see people, you fill in the blanks of who you think they are, but when you meet a person, when you meet your neighbor, all the sudden a lot of that starts being replaced with their story of who they are instead of what you think they are, and that changes things,” he says.

To join us at the 2019 Martin Luther King, Jr. March on Monday, January 21, park at Alamodome and take the free VIA shuttles to the march site. Look for Redeemer’s banner at the MLK Academy. Shuttle service starts at 8 a.m. The march begins at 10 a.m.

• Bring snacks and water for the route. There are food trucks at the conclusion of the march, but not during.

• The march route is approximately 3 miles long. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and be prepared for a two-hour walk.

• At the conclusion of the march there is a program in Pittman-Sullivan Park, but shuttles begin running immediately to return you to your cars if you do not wish to stay.