NEWS

Although there are less events this year, the founder still encourages the community to come together to talk about the issues affecting the human race.

Following criticism by supporters of imprisoned Rwandan Paul Rusesabagina over a panel discussion, a DreamWeek organizer said providing a platform for the Rwandan ambassador to the U.S. to speak in San Antonio allows people to make up their own minds about the country’s government.

Supporters of Rusesabagina and his family expressed outrage over the event Friday featuring Rwandan Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana. Rusesabagina rose to international fame after his efforts to save more than 1,200 fellow Rwandans from genocide inspired the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. He later moved to San Antonio with his wife.

Rwandan authorities arrested Rusesabagina while he was traveling internationally in August 2020 and put him on trial on charges including terrorism, arson and murder. In September, he was convicted of backing a rebel group responsible for deadly attacks in 2018 and 2019 and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Rusesabagina’s family said he was kidnapped and not provided a fair trial.

Trésor Rusesabagina, Rusesabagina’s son, said he planned to attend the event, which he did not think should be canceled.

“To me, freedom of speech is important,” he said Friday before the event. “Everybody has a right to say their piece.”

At DreamWeek 2020, Paul Rusesabagina served as the keynote speaker for the entire summit, a move that was criticized by some, said Shokare Nakpodia, the event’s organizer. After that event, he offered the people who opposed Rusesabagina’s appearance at the summit an opportunity to present their own event at DreamWeek. These members of the Rwandan community in San Antonio invited the ambassador to speak at DreamWeek this year.

“This was just a way for people in the Rwandan community, some of whom were vexed by Paul’s inclusion as a keynote speaker, post an event at DreamWeek,” Nakpodia said. “We really didn’t have any say in whatever they were going to include there.”

DreamVoice, the group that holds DreamWeek, worked with the organizers to hold the event with the ambassador, but Nakpodia said the organization works with all of its partners to figure out the logistics of holding events during DreamWeek. He anticipated there would be some fallout for the decision to bring Mukantabana to the event.

“I personally do not see any reason why the ambassador cannot be here and she be in an environment where she can be challenged for whatever she says or questions that can be put to her,” he said.

Trésor Rusesabagina said the criticism of the DreamWeek event is not just about his father. He said the Rwandan government has thrown other people in jail, such as young YouTubers, who publicly oppose the government.

“People have disappeared. Families have been broken,” he said. “This is why people are upset.”

Nakpodia understands that some people think DreamWeek is giving a platform to people who allegedly abducted and tortured Paul Rusesabagina, but he said he did not want to stifle the other voices in the Rwandan community.

“We think that everyone needs to be heard and that the truest voice is always going to prevail,” he said.

Nakpodia acknowledged that the members of the Rwandan government at the panel could lie, but he said it’s important that people make up their own minds. He doesn’t think the organization should police what people say.

“The question now becomes: who are the truth-tellers here in our environment? Can you step up as well and host a panel? It could be a rebuttal,” he said. “That’s really what we try to encourage, that kind of open conversation.”

It’s not the first time a DreamWeek panel has attracted controversy. In 2019, organizers withdrew an invitation to Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who became the subject of a Netflix documentary following a firestorm created by identifying herself as Black. DreamWeek asked her to join a panel about the documentary but changed course after a protest petition gathered more than 1,100 signatures.

SAN ANTONIO – Port San Antonio is using DreamWeek’s initiative to help spark innovation.

DreamWeek’s mission is to celebrate humanity by creating environments for both civil and civic engagement while embracing ideas and dreams for the common good. DreamWeek is taking place now and lasts until Jan. 30.

“Well this sounds fun, this sounds challenging and I like challenging things and challenging activities so I said this would be good for me,” six-year-old Sonya Martinez, founder of the Honey Breeze Collection said.

“I want everybody to feel happy and unique,” Martinez said.

Sonya wanted to make earrings for her friends and had access to a 3-D printer. The next thing you know, a company was up and running.

“It all seamlessly came together. She made a logo and had her business name kind of figured out relatively quick,” Felicia Martínez, Sonya’s mother, said.

“It is the Honey Breeze collection and the reason we named it like that is because it’s my middle name: Honey Breeze,” Sonya said.

Sonya’s earrings are made by the 3-D printer and her story shows why DreamWeek is so important for San Antonio.

“DreamWeek is all about following your dreams right and that is why we got together with our community partners to come out and demonstrate their technology we’re hoping that’s going to spark some passion and create excitement for these jobs in STEM,” Stephanie Garcia, Port SA business development specialist said.

The programs happening over the next two weeks at Port San Antonio hope to inspire future scientists, astronauts, engineers and in Sonya’s case, entrepreneurs.

“I don’t wanna make earrings out of (a different material) because they might snap and break and I don’t want my earrings to break,” Sonya said.

And already, the six-year-old is learning business first-hand.

“I do take card or cash,” Sonya said.

You can find more about Sonya’s business by clicking here. And you can find out more about DreamWeek by clicking here.

The Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex filled with high-energy chatter from behind the curtains that would soon open to highlight designs and fashion from local artists and business owners in front of about 50 to 60 spectators early Sunday evening.

Aside from showcasing local talent, the event also raised funds through voluntary donations for El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde and for DreamWeek, which is celebrating its 10th year with more than 200 events that end Jan. 30. This year’s theme is “Our Future.”

The Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex filled with high-energy chatter from behind the curtains that would soon open to highlight designs and fashion from local artists and business owners in front of about 50 to 60 spectators early Sunday evening.

City of San Antonio still has several official events — though some are now virtual

SAN ANTONIO – The 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. March that was set for January 17 may have been canceled for a second year in a row, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to commemorate the holiday and the legacy of the civil rights leader.

The City of San Antonio still has several official events — though some are now virtual.

There are also many events associated with DreamWeek, a 16-day summit where people are invited to participate in open forums on real-world issues.

Here is a list of the City of San Antonio’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events:

• Saturday, Jan. 15: 33rd annual Alpha MLK Scholarship Breakfast – 9:00 a.m. at Embassy Suites Landmark Hotel – Tickets Available Here
• Sunday, Jan. 16: Citywide Inter-Faith Worship Service – The virtual event will start at 4:30 p.m. The speaker will be LaMont Jefferson. The event can be viewed on a livestream on Catholic Television, on Today’s Catholic Facebook Page, Temple Beth-El, TVSA livestream or on TV on AT&T 99, Grande 20, Spectrum 21 and digital antenna 16, 1.
• Monday, Jan. 17: Virtual Martin Luther King, Jr. March – 10:00 a.m. on TVSA, the City of San Antonio’s Facebook page, or the MLK Commission’s Facebook page.
• Monday, Jan. 17: Pop-up drive-thru COVID-19 testing and vaccination site at Pittman-Sullivan Park. Tests and vaccinations will be issued, beginning at 10:00 A.M.
• Monday, Jan. 17: Pop-up COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Davis-Scott Family YMCA, 1213 Iowa St. 78203.

Here is a list of the 2022 DreamWeek events:

DWSA2022 Schedule by Julie Moreno on Scribd

DreamWeek marks 10 years of celebrating San Antonio’s humanity and diversity / San Antonio Express News

SAN ANTONIO – Today on SA Live, it might be winter but we could all use a dose of the islands. Taste of the Caribbean is a free event and part of Dream Week, where you can sample some of the best sights, sounds, and flavors of the tropics. We are giving you a preview with some Jamaican food! Then, we sample some soul food from Rooted Vegan Cuisine. Check out soul food, reimagined at Urban Soul Market. For a list of the rest of the Dream Week events, click here.

Guess what? There’s a brand new spot in town where anyone can become an Axe Master!

Plus, if you are looking to make your social media feed really pop, check out the Texas Selfie Museum and their incredible backdrops!

DreamWeek’s 16-day summit centered on civil and civic engagement features a host of events across San Antonio.

Inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr., DreamWeek is held “to foster the exchange of ideas” in an environment “where real-world issues are presented and nurtured.” The 10th annual event will include symposiums, panel discussions, film screenings, art exhibits and musical performances.

Selected works by artist Jose Villalobos will be on exhibit during his show “Joto Fronterizo/Border Faggot.” Raised on the U.S./Mexico border in El Paso, Villalobos is known for his artistic protests of toxic masculinity through performance, sculpture and fashion (Free, 7 p.m.–11 p.m., Jan. 15, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star).

The history of civil rights in San Antonio will be on display during the exhibition “Piecing Together a Story of Courage” through historic images, recordings and interviews (Free, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Jan. 15, Instituto Cultural de México, 600 Hemisfair).

African American culture will be celebrated through music in a concert presented by Musical Bridges Around the World, where featured artists from the documentary The Quilt will be in attendance (Free, 7 p.m., Jan. 23, San Fernando Cathedral, 115 Main Plaza).

All events are subject to change. Times and locations vary, January 13-30, (210) 444-2315, dreamweek.org.

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