For 13 years now, San Antonio has hosted a summit inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr., called DreamWeek San Antonio.
This year the summit coincides with the presidential inauguration and is a series of events created around the city’s MLK March, which organizers say is one of the largest in the country. Its theme, “We are neighbor,” was chosen to embrace unity of people of all backgrounds.
Some DreamWeek San Antonio events dive further into the histories of different cultures to foster the free exchange of ideas between communities, while others include informative and fun speaker panels.
DreamWeek San Antonio founder, Shokare Nakpodia, said the 2025 theme embraces the principles of empathy, solidarity and mutual support to foster a culture of neighborliness that transcends borders.
“Together, we can inspire change, foster unity, and create a city where everyone feels valued and empowered,” Nakpodia said. “We are neighbors, not just by proximity, but by the shared tapestry of our diverse ideas and collective aspirations, weaving a community that thrives through unity and understanding.”
This year, the multi-week summit offers more than 200 separate events across 16 days between Jan. 10 to Jan. 26. To see the full list of events scheduled, click here.
Below are some highlights happening every day during DreamWeek.
Acting under Duress, Surviving with Resilience Exhibit
See seven display panels of four formerly incarcerated survivors’ stories in prose and photos at the University of Incarnate Word’s Condo Student Gallery. Content Advisory: there are written descriptions of violence.
Available until Jan. 25, the exhibit humanizes and contextualizes the actions of abuse survivors under duress and how that led to incarceration.
On Jan. 25 at 3 p.m., Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, Patricia Castillo of the PEACE Initiative, Doshie Piper of the UIW’s criminal justice department, and Cathy Marston of Free Battered Texas Women will discuss how to create justice for survivors at the university’s Library Auditorium.
Black Cowboys: An American Story
Learn about the Black West and the diverse portrait of the American West through artifacts, photographs and documents that depict the work and skills Black cowboys brought to ranches of Texas.
This exhibit is at the Robert J. & Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center at the Witte Museum and is available through Feb. 9. This event is included with the museum admission fee, which is $16 for adults, $15 for seniors and teens 13 to 18, and $11 for children ages 4 to 12.
“Dining with Rolando Briseño: A 50-Year Retrospective”
Visit the Centro de Artes Gallery at 101 S. Santa Rosa Street through Feb. 9 to see the free exhibition featuring pieces of Mexican American artist, Chicano activist, and culinary historian, Rolando Briseño.
The exhibition includes 75 pieces of his life’s work spanning from 1966, including drawings, lithographs, paintings, photographs, public artworks, and some that survived a studio fire in 1985.
More special events include the following:
Building Bexar County baseball
Attend a chat about youth baseball in Bexar County that will dive into San Antonio’s baseball heritage and the youth baseball scene, and involve communities of color in the sport by sharing their history.
Learn about underrepresented communities and opportunities children in those neighborhoods have and how schools and organizations can create a supportive network that nurtures their talent.
This free event hosted by Launch SA will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at 600 Soledad Street. Register online here.
Informed Neighbors: Journalism as a force for empathy and unity
Attend this panel to learn about journalism’s role in fostering community, trust and understanding in today’s climate of misinformation.
Panelists including journalists and editors from the San Antonio Express-News, Texas Public Radio, as well as the San Antonio Report’s own Iris Dimmick, will discuss how journalism is rooted in accuracy and ethics.
The free program begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 321 West Commerce Street. Registration isn’t required.
Food Horizons Forum: Chasing Health
On Thursday, join a conversation about the intersection of food, health and wellness with expert panelists, moderated by San Antonio Report Managing Editor Laura Garcia.
Learn about San Antonio’s pressing health and nutrition issues, how to create equitable and sustainable food systems and about the future of food and health.
The panel begins at 6 p.m. Register for the free event here.
Historic African American Cemetery Resources DreamWeek
Learn about the historic significance of San Antonio’s three rare, endangered century-old African American cemeteries located within city council District 10.
The free event will take place Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. at Northern Hills Elementary.
A Martin Luther King Special- San Antonio Black History Bus Tour
On Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m., head to Carver Branch Library for a $30 bus tour exploring the Black History of San Antonio with a special focus on civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Get your tickets online here.
Uniting Voices: A Speaker Series on Allyship and Equity
The YWCA is hosting a speaker series event on Jan. 25 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss how to foster meaningful conversations, inclusive community and ways you can encourage people to share their perspectives. The session, called “How Can We Show Up For You?” focuses on allyship across Black, Latina, Asian and white communities, and will take place at 2311 Castroville Rd.
Register online here.
Through Their Eyes: Still Life Art Gallery
In connection with this year’s theme, writer, activist and cultural organizer Raymond Goode presents his theatrical production, “Through Their Eyes,” a collection of stories from victims and survivors of traumatic events replicated through art and dance.
The work aims to encourage empathy and interracial, intercultural understanding among people.
The gallery event will be at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at Brick at Blue Star. Purchase your $25 ticket online here.
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