On Monday, January 19, 2026, Buddhist Action Now was honored to participate in the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day festival at Huston-Tillotson University.
Huston-Tillotson University, established in 1875, is an HBCU and the oldest institution of higher learning in Austin. Its gently rolling landscape, historical buildings, and central location make it a perfect location for this event. The festival was scheduled at the end point on the route of the MLK Day March which began that morning on the steps of Texas State Capitol.
Buddhist Action Now had reserved a spot, and our group spent time at our meetings leading up to the event brainstorming things we could do to engage folks. These included a poster board with the invitation for people to share their dreams, a handout with the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thích Nhất Hạnh’s friendship, and a poem written by one of our members, Starlit Swan.
Shortly after 11:00am, waves of people began to arrive on the campus grounds, which had already been set up to welcome them. Hundreds of vendors, nonprofit organizations, and entertainers were there for the family-friendly event. The weather, which had been chilly that morning, turned a blissful temperature around midday, giving the event a true festival feeling.
Our volunteers were onsite from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and all report having had great conversations with attendees who expressed interest in Buddhist Action Now, and in our meditation offerings at Appamada.
While we were heartened to see the interest, our main purpose in having a table was to demonstrate our solidarity with the movement for Black liberation, and our support of nonviolent resistance in the pursuit of the liberation of all beings.
We are grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the event, and for the time and energy and other resources contributed by the members of Buddhist Action Now.
Interested in putting your values into action? We invite you to join us for Buddhist Action Now meetings each Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. You can also sign up to receive our group emails or learn more about Buddhist Action Now by sending an inquiry via our contact page.
