Austin, TX
Austin marchers say Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement lives on despite Trump administration policies
The climate at this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally was notably different. Many spoke out against the current Trump administration and drew throughlines between the resistance of the Civil Rights Movement and today’s pushback on recent efforts at the federal and state levels to diminish the impact of minorities in the U.S.
State Rep. Sheryl Cole, an Austin Democrat, said the current political climate is challenging, but King warned justice would not come easily.
“Let this be a day more than remembrance,” she said. “Let it be a renewal. Let it be a renewal of courage, a renewal of solidarity, a renewal of hope rooted in action. The struggle continues but so does the movement.”
Austinite Rick Hoff said for him, honoring King was about keeping his legacy alive despite efforts at the federal level to minimize its significance.
Lorianne Willett
/
KUT News
In a recent change, the Trump administration removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day from its list of free entry days into national parks and added President Trump’s birthday.
“I feel like it is really important to keep respecting what this man did for this country,” Hoff said. “And, unfortunately, with some of the administration we have right now, I get a little worried that maybe they are trying to ease it out, and I don’t like that at all. I think we should keep it completely.”
During his life, Dr. King led nonviolent movements, including efforts to integrate bus lines in Montgomery, Alabama, and the March on Washington where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Lorianne Willett
/
KUT News
Shanice Brim marched with the Democratic Socialists of America. The group was among the thousands who marched Monday from the Texas Capitol to Huston-Tillotson University. She said honoring King’s legacy is more important now than ever.
“There is a lot of discord in the country right now,” Brim said. “It feels like those of us who believe in justice are getting hit on all sides whether it’s around abortion rights, immigration, or our endless need to fund wars instead of things we need here in the country like harm reduction and housing services.”
Those in attendance were also encouraged to bring canned goods to support the Central Texas Food Bank — a nod to King’s work advocating for the poor and the hungry.
This was the first march on MLK Day since 2024. The last two events were canceled because of winter weather.
The City of Austin’s mass transit project Project Connect was the subject of conversation at last week’s Movability breakfast at St. Edward’s University.
Movability is the region’s transportation management association, and it works to promote connectivity in the Central Texas area. A city blog recapped the Feb. 4 annual breakfast, during which featured Capital Metro president & CEO Dottie Watkins and Jennifer Pyne of the Austin Transit Partnership.
During the event, Pyne and Watkins both answered questions about the current status of Project Connect and the moves Capital Metro and ATP are making in tandem to bring the vision to reality.
According to Pyne, the light rail project received a Record of Decision a few weeks ago, which is a milestone for the project. That means it has cleared the end of the environmental impact statement process for projects seeking federal funding.
“It’s really a green light to take the project to the next level, to do further design, to really advance the work,” Pyne said. “We are in a position to start to do utilities relocation. So, it’s really moving to the next phase.”
Pyne said APT is pursuing grant funding from the New Starts program, which is part of the Federal Transit Administration and designed to support major capital investments. She estimated the city is approximately two years away from inking such an agreement.
That would mean construction starts in roughly 2027. “We’re bringing on some of our key partners, the construction contractors, and the final designers, coming on this year. We will be identifying a vehicle manufacturer later this year and getting ready to actually turn dirt,” Pyne said.
ATP is currently in three active solicitations with one for the light rail track, systems, and stations, and another team for operations and maintenance facilities. “We are also actively in a solicitation with railcar builders to bring those on,” she said.
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