Trinity University Celebrates DreamWeek 2026

The Trinity University Student Inclusion and Belonging Office, in collaboration with the City of San Antonio, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, and the San Antonio Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, invites students, faculty, staff, and alumni to participate in the 39th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. March on Monday, January 19, 2026. This powerful event is an opportunity for us to honor Dr. King’s legacy and commitment to justice, equity, and unity.

The March begins at 10 a.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy, followed by a celebration at Pittman-Sullivan Park, which will feature a mainstage with multicultural performances, a health and wellness area, youth activities, food and merchandise vendors, and information booths.

Student Inclusion and Belonging will provide free transportation to and from the March. Check-in for transportation will take place at 8 a.m., at the Bell Center, with departure at 8:30 a.m. Registrants will receive a complimentary MLK March t-shirt, snacks, and water, which will be distributed upon arrival. Participants will return to campus from the March around 1-2 p.m. 

RSVP through GivePulse by January 16, 2026, to secure your spot. If you would like to bring a guest, please register them during your sign-up by selecting the “Add a Minor” option. For guest registrants, under “Classification,” please select “Trinity Guest (Minor)” or “Trinity Guest (Adult),” as applicable. 

If you have questions about the March, please reach out to the Student Inclusion and Belonging Office at inclusion@trinity.edu or call 210-999-8059. We look forward to marching with you!

The MLK March is part of San Antonio’s DreamWeek, a series of events that aims to “celebrate our humanity by creating environments for civil and civic engagement to embrace ideas and dreams for the common good.” 

Trinity University will also host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture during DreamWeek. This year’s keynote speaker is Lerone Martin, Ph.D., who will present a lecture titled “Young King” on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 7 p.m., in Stieren Theatre. 

A historian of religion in the twentieth century, Martin is currently the faculty director for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, where he is also the Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor in Religious Studies, African and African American Studies, and The Nina C. Crocker Faculty Scholar. 

One of his most important directorial responsibilities is the ongoing work of editing King’s significant sermons, speeches, published writings, correspondence, and unpublished papers. In June 2023, under Martin’s leadership, the Institute received the largest gift in its history, which will support the digitization of Dr. King’s writings and make them available through a new, searchable online database accessible to the public and scholars worldwide.

Martin earned his B.A. from Anderson University and his Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary before completing his Ph.D. at Emory University. Martin’s lectures on the intersection of religion and politics in American life have been featured at national conferences, faith communities, as well as leading universities, including Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Georgetown. Martin’s latest book, Young King: The Making of Martin Luther King Jr., about the adolescence and calling of Martin Luther King Jr., will be published by HarperCollins in May 2026.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture is free and open to the public.

Special thanks to the Trinity University Office of People, Culture, and Community, Wells Fargo, and the City of San Antonio’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission.