SAN ANTONIO — What began early in the morning of Jan. 15 as a delayed start to San Antonio's annual Martin Luther King March resulted in it eventually being called off amid the coldest conditions of the season—a rare cancellation of one of the biggest MLK Day events in the country.
Dwayne Robinson, who heads the San Antonio MLK Commission chair, said his team understands the cancellation was a decision that would disappoint many in the community.
But prioritizing everyone’s safety, he says, was most important.
“It’s unpredictable, it’s very tough for our vendors who have put out a lot for this day,” he said. “The march certainly is one of the commission’s biggest activities.”
After saying the event would go on no matter what the weather was like, committee volunteers showed up early Monday morning and saw signs that icy conditions could be dangerous.
“You could not have people up there performing on a stage with ice. There’s ice all over the field where people would have been congregating and stuff like that," Robinson said. "It’s unsafe. We could not do that.”
The commission felt prioritizing everyone’s safety was most important.
"Everyone’s at home, warm and safe. That’s the most important thing."
On Jan. 30, the commission confirmed a 2024 march wouldn't be rescheduled. Organizers previously said they would closely monitor conditions to see what was possible.
“We greatly appreciate the San Antonio community’s desire to commemorate the legacy of Dr. King this year and every year,” Robinson said in the statement. “We will keep our community and partners informed about future opportunities to come together and do so.”
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