Marches, Parades, Speeches Part of MLK Day Across Texas

Thousands of Texans took to the streets Monday for marches, speeches and volunteer efforts to remember slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday in his name.

Watch an excerpt of NBC 5’s coverage of the 2016 Annual Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18.

Dozens of floats, bands and other entries were part of the Dallas MLK march.

Austin's celebration included a community march that began at the MLK statue on the University of Texas campus. Houston held two MLK marches.

Organizers planned for more than 200,000 people for the annual MLK march in San Antonio, billed as one of the largest in the country with adults and children walking the nearly 3-mile route together.

Watch an excerpt of NBC 5’s coverage of the 2016 Annual Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18.

Participants carried signs, U.S. and Texas flags and linked arms in a show of support for communities working together.

San Antonio police did not immediately return a message Monday on number of participants in the march organized by the city's MLK Jr. Commission, in a massive public celebration that has drawn tens of thousands of participants over the years.

Watch an excerpt of NBC 5’s coverage of the 2016 Annual Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18.

The organizing group previously was called the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial City-(Bexar) County Commission, developed in the 1980s under then-San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros.

The history of the San Antonio MLK march goes back to mourning following King's 1968 assassination.

Watch an excerpt of NBC 5’s coverage of the 2016 Annual Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18.

The Rev. R.A. Callies Sr., a San Antonio pastor and teacher, began leading small processions honoring King's legacy shortly after the slaying, according to the MLK Jr. Commission website.

Watch an excerpt of NBC 5’s coverage of the 2016 Annual Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18.

Those processions grew over the years, with the theme of Monday's march being "Uniting Communities to Advance Humanity."

Watch an excerpt of NBC 5’s coverage of the 2016 Annual Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18.

Monday was a King day of service in Corpus Christi, with volunteers helping others. A similar day of service was held at UT-Brownsville.

Watch an excerpt of NBC 5’s coverage of the 2016 Annual Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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