Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) will be celebrated this year on Monday, January 18.
Every year, we observe this day in remembrance of the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy, but what many may not be aware of, MLK Day was also established as a national day of service.
As some call it, “a day on, not a day off,” we are encouraged to volunteer, give back, reflect, learn and grow and have conversations about Civil Rights issues still impacting our communities.
In pre-pandemic years, MLK parades, volunteer outings and events would be hosted all across the country. This year will be entirely different, but there are still plenty of ways to do your part and stay involved:
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Volunteer from home – AmeriCorps has a number of resources and information dedicated to MLK Day of Service this year.
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Read – from books and articles about King’s life, to books he wrote himself, there are a number of resources available for learning more about King’s work and his fight for equality.
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Listen – Dr. King left a legacy of powerful sermons and speeches, why not give them a listen? His most famous of course being his “I Have a Dream” speech.
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Watch – there are a number of movies and documentaries about King and much we can learn about his life’s work that may be relevant to issues we are facing in current times.
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Teach – as you learn more about King, be sure to share what you’ve learned with others. Family, friends, even your children could benefit in starting conversations about racial inequality.
However you chose to spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, I hope you will take a moment to tribute Dr. King's memory and recognize his accomplishments.
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