NEWS Archives » Page 2 of 28 » DreamWeek San Antonio

Jan 12

A March to Remember

By anjali NEWS

DreamWeek San Antonio

Jan. 10-26

Similar to the MLK Commission, Dream Voice is an organization dedicated to advancing the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Founded in 2011 by Shokare Nakpodia, Dream Voice is the nonprofit behind DreamWeek San Antonio, a 16-day summit held in January since 2013.

The goal of DreamWeek is to foster dialogue around the issues central to King’s life and work. It serves as an open forum for participants and organizers to voice their perspectives, discuss real-world issues, exchange ideas and inspire change through events, including award ceremonies, panel discussions, art exhibits, musical performances and open debates.

There are more than 100 events each year. One highlight is the DWSA Dream Ball, also known as the Mayor’s Dream Ball. This official fundraiser for DreamWeek features performances by top San Antonio artists in music, theater, comedy and dance.

Jan 12

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DreamWeek: Special film presented as part of Native American film series

By anjali NEWS

SAN ANTONIO – With DreamWeek San Antonio now underway, a special film was presented at the Jack Guenther Pavilion at the Briscoe.

‘Indian Relay’ is a film about a trio of teams from American-Indian communities competing in horse racing and takes a closer look at modern-day American-Indian life.

The event, which took place Sunday afternoon, was all part of a free Native American film series.

Organizers say all the films being presented in this series are written, directed, and star Native Americans.

Jan 12

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Top To-Do’s January-March 2025

By anjali NEWS

January

Melissa Villaseñor: On six seasons with “Saturday Night Live” starting in 2016, Villaseñor showed off her skill as an impressionist with takes on Dolly Parton and Owen Wilson, among others, and gave us “A Peek at Pico.” Since then, she’s returned to the stand-up stage, done voice-over work, and made and sold drawings that are both funny and affirmative. Jan. 9-11, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, No. 312, improvtx.com.

DreamWeek: Inspired by the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., DreamWeek is a citywide calendar of events intended to foster civic and civil engagement. Highlights include an album-release party for spoken-word poet Chibbi; a concert by R&B and funk legend Charlie Wilson; a performance by the Gullah-inspired jazz ensemble Ranky Tanky; and an awards luncheon. Jan. 10-26, various locations, full schedule at dreamweek.org.

Jan 10

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San Antonio kicks odd DreamWeek 2025, supporting the teaching of MLK

By anjali NEWS

It’s the nation’s largest summit.

Jan 10

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Sunday performance at San Antonio’s San Fernando Cathedral celebrates African American music

By anjali NEWS

San Fernando Cathedral will reverberate with diverse and soulful sounds this Sunday during a concert based on the award-winning documentary The Quilt: A Living History of African American Music.

Part of the annual DreamWeek San Antonio summit, the performance embraces the film’s goal of exploring the history of African American musical culture from slavery times to the present.

Jazz pianist and composer Aaron Prado — who served as music director and composer of original music for the film’s soundtrack — will perform at San Fernando along with Dallas-based jazz pianist Arlington Jones, Nicole Cherry on violin, Brandon Rivas on double bass and Georgie Padilla on percussion.

The San Antonio Gospel Heritage Choir, formed by the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum in 2023, will kick off the concert, which is presented by Musical Bridges Around the World.

Musical Bridges, a San Antonio nonprofit, initially developed and produced The Quiltfilm in response to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its 2023 debut, the documentary has won awards, including Best Full-Length Music Documentary at the Queens Underground Film Festival and the Gold Medal at the Atlanta Children’s Festival.

Free tickets are available through Musical Bridges’ website.

Free, 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, San Fernando Cathedral, 115 Main Plaza, (210) 464-1534, musicalbridges.org.

Jan 10

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This weekend in SA: Enjoy the indoors with comedy, theater performances

By anjali NEWS

DreamWeek San Antonio

Kicking off this weekend, the annual DreamWeek summit comprises a series of events designed to “foster the free exchange of ideas on universal issues affecting humanity.” The summit runs until Jan. 26.

When: Friday, Jan. 10 – Sunday, Jan. 26

Where: Locations vary, see the full schedule of events here

Cost: Entrance fees also vary, check details on the schedule of events

Jan 10

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‘We Are Neighbors:’ DreamWeek’s leaders put focus on unity, kindness

By anjali NEWS

Thirteen years ago, Shokare “Sho” Nakpodia founded San Antonio’s DreamWeeksummit after then-Mayor Julían Castro challenged eight local advertising agencies to spotlight San Antonio’s Martin Luther King Jr. March.

The summit’s mission is to “celebrate our humanity by creating environments for civil and civic engagement to embrace ideas and dreams for the common good,” according to DreamWeek’s website. The summit includes panel discussions, lectures, art exhibits, classes, concerts and more.

From the beginning, there was only one caveat given to DreamWeek’s organizers: Respect one another’s opinions. Nakpodia said that consideration is needed more than ever after a divisive presidential election that influenced this year’s theme, “We Are Neighbors.”

“We want to encourage people to be more intentional in putting good out in the world and realize that every single act is a neighboring act,” said Nakpodia, creative director of the Mighty Group, a local marketing and design agency. “Any of these actions benefits us as a whole.”

The city-wide summit will run Jan. 10 through Jan. 26. DreamWeek began with partners hosting 30 events and grew close to 300 before the pandemic. This year, they’ve ramped back up to 220 events. According to the group’s website, the nonprofit DreamVoice solicits funding for the events through donations, scholarships annual Mayor’s Ball fundraiser and sales of branded merchandise.

The DreamWeek founder and CEO’s vision for the event materialized in the 1990s. Nakpodia, an immigrant from Nigeria, was driving a cab in New York City, where he’d hear passengers talk in various languages about a range of issues. He’d studied at the University of Leeds in London for a civil engineering degree, but he found his calling in the graphic arts. That passion for the visual arts led him to move his family to San Antonio where he started the Mighty Group.

Nakpodia and his team started by celebrating tolerance, diversity and equality. They quickly realized they were using the “genius of the civil rights movement” as a modern approach to issues people faced today, he said. The DreamWeek founder said he’s proud the summit stems from San Antonio’s MLK March, considered one of the largest in the nation.

The city’s 38th MLK March will start Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, 3501 Martin Luther King Drive, and conclude at Pittman-Sullivan Park, 1101 Iowa St. In past years, an estimated 100,000 people have taken part in the 2.75-mile march. The theme of this year’s march is “We are the Dream…It Takes All of Us.”

Nakpodia said the 2025 march will be significant as it falls on the same day as President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as 47th president of the United States.

“It would be great to have the right and the left walk down that street in one accord,” Nakpodia said. “It’s important to realize that just because one doesn’t agree politically doesn’t mean that all these other individuals are not part of the fabric of the community.”

This year, two marquee events will take place at the Witte Museum’s Mays Family Center, at 3801 Broadway.

The 2025 San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum Legacy Awards Ball on Friday night will present honorees Frank Dunn, Andrew Jacobi Jeter, Grace R. Roy and Dr. George Williams Jr. with awards in the performing arts, journalism, education, social activism and higher education. On Saturday night, the Essence Prep DreamWeek Gala will offer dinner, live music and a silent auction at the fundraiser for Essence Preparatory Public School’s programs and scholars.

Nakpodia said DreamWeek has received support from a wide spectrum of San Antonio residents. Past panels and hosts have included the Jewish, Palestinian, Christian, Native American and LGBTQ communities. He said the faith community has included his sister, Pastor Shetigho Nakpodia, of Redeemer’s Praise Church, who has sponsored the “1,000 Plates for the Hungry” event.

Nakpodia said one memorable event was when Frost Bank partnered with Opportunity Homes, formerly the San Antonio Housing Authority to sponsor 50 youths and their guardians for dinner at the 21st floor Plaza Club, a private club for the city’s elite. The venue is now the Centre Club, located on the 30th floor of the Weston Centre at 112 East Pecan St. He said the volunteers monitored and mentored the kids, who could be seduced by the streets, to see San Antonio from an elevated vantage point.

“They were wined and dined,” Nakpodia said. “Typically we only do that with people who are excelling and doing well. It turned out that the majority of the kids tried to do much better and their grades increased, so that’s the sort of partnership that we’ve had for DreamWeek. This was one of the really surprising outcomes.”

Jan 10

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DreamWeek San Antonio begins this Friday, offering more than 200 events

By anjali NEWS

The latest edition of DreamWeek San Antonio promises more than 200 events this January, all designed around the exchange of ideas focused on diversity, tolerance and equality.

The 13-year-old annual summit is inspired by the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and the programming is intended to foster an environment for civil and civic engagement, community involvement and networking, organizers said.

Jan 10

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DreamWeek kicks off Friday morning in San Antonio

By anjali NEWS

SAN ANTONIO – DreamWeek, the annual city-wide summit, kicked off on Friday morning in San Antonio. The annual 16-day event encourages idea-sharing on global issues to promote tolerance, equality, and diversity.

DreamWeek founder and president Shokare Nakpodia is set to be joined by Mayor Ron Nirenberg at an opening ceremony detailing more about some events people can look forward to attending.

San Antonio’s MLK March — touted as the largest in the nation — is one of over 200 events featured as part of DreamWeek.

People can expect to have symposiums, panel discussions, debates, film screenings, concerts and art exhibits at more than 100 locations throughout the city.

Jan 08

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DreamWeek 2025: San Antonio prepares ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

By anjali NEWS

San Antonio – Right now, the city is getting ready for Martin Luther King Junior Day, and DreamWeek 2025. This year’s theme for DreamWeek: ‘We Are Neighbors.’

It kicks off this Friday, Jan 10, and runs through Jan 26. The organization’s goal is to bring people together for civil and civic engagement.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg says this annual, local event brings people together worldwide.