By Andi Rodriguez : January 11, 2013
On Jan. 21, San Antonio will host the nation’s largest Martin Luther King Jr. march and day of service, designed to strengthen communities and bridge barriers, moving us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.
However for Shokare (Sho) Nakpodia, one day wasn’t enough. Nakpodia, founding partner of San Antonio agency The MightyGroup, has kicked off ‘DreamWeek,’ celebrating Dr. King’s spirit for 12 days with a citywide summit.
Nakpodia explains this inaugural event is intended to promote an exchange of ideas on universal issues facing our multi-cultural community.
Nakpodia, who emigrated to the U.S. from a village in Africa, is today a successful agency owner and regarded community leader.
However, it was at the suggestion of Mayor Julián Castro, that he reached further, beyond his commercial success, to make a difference.
“The mayor challenged us to find ways to tell San Antonio’s story to a national audience … and what renders us unique,” Nakpodia says. He spoke to numerous leaders across the city and it was Tom Frost senior who led him to his DreamWeek idea.
“Tom shared that within his travels and experience, he discovered that San Antonio was highly regarded for the civilized way in which we resolved conflicts, and that led me back to Dr. King,” Nakpodia continues.
Nakpodia articulates that the singular goal of DreamWeek is to advance the voice and engage those who seek to understand their communities’ key issues by providing a forum for diverse partners and activities.
Starting Jan. 11 through Tuesday, Jan. 22, DreamWeek’s 12 days will focus on the following themes: City, Sports, Cuisine, Health, Energy, Technology, Education, Arts, Youth, Spirit, Justice and Business — with corresponding events all within or near San Antonio’s downtown area.
