MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

 

Each year on the third Monday of January we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and reflect on the work that still needs to be done for racial equality. This January 17, make this National Holiday more than just a day off! Take time to reflect and take action on civil rights issues.  Be of service and make your voice heard!

Days of Service

What will you do?

The Martin Luther King celebrations invite us to consider Service to help raise awareness, mobilize volunteers, and provide individuals with an opportunity to engage and build new connections, and help nonprofits find support for their programs. MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a “Beloved Community.”

This year, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will mark the 27th anniversary of the National Day of Service. This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

Americans celebrated the first official Martin Luther King Day, which is the only federal holiday commemorating an African-American, on Monday, January 20, 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service, and marking the third Monday in January every year as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service - a "Day On, Not a Day Off."

Dr. King advocated for nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice as a means of lifting racial oppression. He created change with organized sit-ins, marches, and peaceful demonstrations that highlighted issues of inequality. Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; he was the youngest person to ever receive this high honor. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by entering the ministry to become a Baptist minister. On April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee as he stood on the balcony of his hotel. Dr. King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to lead a march in support of striking sanitation workers.

Ways To Observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

   1. Learn MLK’s full history and narrative

Take the time to learn more about MLK in depth. Read his works as well as those of his family to learn more about this remarkable man and the stories as he told them.

 

   2. Support the Black community and racial justice

Make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day more than just a day off. Take time to both understand and support civil rights and the issues facing communities of color. MLK and his contemporaries did a lot for the advancement of civil rights, but there is still much to be done.

   3. Have a conversation

Creating dialogue and having discussions about racial injustice is important. Through conversation we educate each other, share experiences, and work to create a brighter future.