Introduction
“It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it’s nonviolence or nonexistence” – Martin Luther King Jr. at his last speech, ‘Over the Mountaintop’.
Martin Luther King Jr, also referred to as Dr. King by some, was a Baptist minister and a social activist who fought for Civil Rights in the 50s and continued to do so until his death in the early 60s. The national day to honor Dr. King falls on the third Monday of each January, which, surprisingly enough, also happened to land on his birthday this year (January 15th). He would’ve been 95 years old.
Not only is this holiday a day off school for students across the nation, but it is also a day to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Martin Luther King in his lifetime. Martin Luther King was bold; he pushed people to stand up for their brothers and sisters in an act for people to be equal, using protests and movements to unite. He was also rational and calm, using nonviolent acts to get his point across in his speeches. He was not a person to use force when stating his opinion, rather, he spoke what was on his mind with integrity and class. Many people are willing to honor Martin Luther King and follow in his footsteps. But how do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
Ways To Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr had often participated in rallies and peaceful marches. One of the most notorious instances of this was when he joined the Great Sanitation Strike in Memphis, Tennessee. He stood up with the people for better wages, work, and safety conditions so they could be treated fairly. Like Martin Luther King Jr., you can use your voice for good and stand up for what you think is right. There are many issues globally that people are passionate about. You can join them and spread the message, or you can find something else that you’re passionate about.
Another way you can celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. is to further dive into the full teachings and speeches of the famous activist. Of course, his speech “I Have a Dream” is the most iconic, but many people just use small quotes from it. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, but it doesn’t allow his full point to get across. The main idea from his speech was recognizing injustices that happen in the past and future that are only based off someone’s skin color, and the systematic injustice the people have faced. Many speeches can be found online in places such as YouTube or Google.
Lastly, and arguably the most important, is to honor all of his family and what they stand for. Although the holiday celebrates Dr. King, it wasn’t just him who stood up for social injustices. His wife, Coretta Scott King, was also a valuable activist for the civil rights movement. She helped fund many organizations such as the Black Leadership Roundtable and Forum. She was also an advocate for ending poverty and wars, being a delegate for Women’s Strike for Peace.
Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr’s youngest daughter, is also a great activist and upholds her family’s legacy of fighting for justice. She has told her stories at the White House and the Lincoln Memorial to spread the word of non-violence. She is also the CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center), which empowers people to create a fair and peaceful world using her father’s words.
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