SAN ANTONIO – The Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in San Antonio will look a lot different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Alamo City is known for having the largest MLK Day march in the nation, which roughly attracts 300,000 participants every year.
But in the midst of the pandemic, the MLK Commission has had to pivot and adjust.
Renee Watson, chair of the MLK Commission, joined Leading SA on Sunday to discuss what we can expect for this year’s celebration.
“Our mission has always been to promote human equality, the principles of non-violence and understanding and acceptance of racial harmony, respect and goodwill among us all as a way of community in San Antonio and across the United States,” Watson said.
This year’s march will be virtual, and it has been filmed and condensed into a visual format. Still, there is still a lot of enthusiasm about the festivities.
“There are different things to be addressed — the racial unrest, the schools across the country. We have local citizens who have been impacted, so for the city of San Antonio to commit to not cancel this, but to bring this type of event online, we are very, very honored to be a part of it,” Watson said.
Watson and the MLK Commission are asking community members not to march together due to the uptick in area coronavirus cases. But, there are still other ways you can participate.
“We’re asking the citizens if you want to go outside, walk in your neighborhood, let your neighbors see that you have your commitment to Dr. King, go on social media, and tag those those photos all day tomorrow, hashtag them MLK Commission. We will pick them up and we will tell them a different story about MLK Day, because as we know, the holiday is a day on, not just a day off,” Watson said.
The virtual march on Monday will start at 10 a.m. on the city’s TVSA channel.
You can watch the full interview with Watson in the video player above.
RELATED: What to know about San Antonio’s 2021 virtual Martin Luther King Jr. March