Austin holds first community Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in two years

January 20, 2026

Hundreds joined the MLK Community March on Monday, assembling on the south steps of the Texas Capitol before moving east toward Huston-Tillotson University. The route differed from past years, when the march traditionally began at the Martin Luther King Jr. statue on the Capitol's South Lawn.

Marchers completed the walk and arrived at Huston-Tillotson University, Austin's only Historically Black College and University, where the annual festival offered music, food trucks and a row of local vendors. The campus served as the festival site after the procession ended.

Organizers canceled the community march in 2024 and 2025 because of bad weather, though festival activities still took place at later dates those years. Event leaders said this year's procession marked the first full community march in two years and reflected renewed momentum for in-person gatherings.

State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, who is running for Texas comptroller, spoke about the location change and the importance of honoring King's legacy in public spaces. Eckhardt noted it took time to secure a campus statue and relayed a student speaker's message that democracy depends on broad participation, not concentrated privilege.

At the festival, attendees shopped from local businesses and listened to live performances. Cynthia Brown, owner of Brown Fabrications and ATX East Side Soap, sold Raggedy Ann dolls representing darker skin tones and said she has participated since the event's early years. She described the festival as a way to maintain ties to East Austin, recalling a time when Black-owned businesses were constrained to that neighborhood and emphasizing the need to protect support for underserved communities amid current political pressures.

Groups across the political spectrum marched or attended, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Member Christian Sevidal said the celebration also served as a reminder that collective organization drives change, echoing the activist roots of the holiday. The Austin Area Heritage Council, which organizes the city's MLK events, called turnout encouraging. Secretary Yvette Crawford-Lee, a council member since 2002, said rising attendance shows the community's continued commitment and a willingness to respond to national events that concern residents.