President’s message: MLK Day

Dear faculty, staff, students and residents:

Next Monday, January 20, UT Health San Antonio will be closed in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his dedication to the nonviolent struggle for racial and social equality in the United States. Each year, the third Monday of January marks MLK Day to honor the civil rights leader’s work and legacy to end racism, social injustices and all forms of discrimination.

Dr. King devoted his life to advancing equality, social justice and economic opportunity through service to others. This designated day of service, reflection and education calls each of us to rededicate ourselves to create a just and equitable future for all. During the 1963 March on Washington, Dr. King declared that all people should be judged not “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

UT Health San Antonio will join community members, local partners and others for the annual MLK Day march on January 20 hosted by the city of San Antonio. This march attracts over 300,000 participants and is considered the largest in the country. Free bus transportation from our Long Campus to the march will be provided in the morning, with a return to campus in the afternoon. Additional MLK Day commemoration activities and events planned by the city of San Antonio can be found here.

UT Health San Antonio faculty, staff, students or residents who wish to take advantage of the transportation to the march from UT Health should contact Cindi Adcock in the Office of the President (AdcockC@uthscsa.edu; 210-567-2003) no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 16. Reservations for the bus will be on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. (Guests are welcome, with a limit of two guests per employee or student).

For MLK Day 2021, I have asked Dr. Chiquita Collins, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice Dean for Inclusion and Diversity for the Long School of Medicine, to form a task force to plan how we as a university might expand our participation in the citywide activities, as well as what community service event(s) in recognition of Dr. King’s life we might host at UT Health San Antonio in the future. If you are interested in being a part of Dr. Collins’ planning group, please email the LSOM Office for Inclusion and Diversity at lsomdiversity@uthscsa.edu.

Thank you for your commitment to serve our community.

Sincerely,

William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP

President and Professor of Medicine



Share This Article!