By Rebecca Marks Jimerson
America has been observing and celebrating, in most states, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday for 26 years.
The federal holiday, which went into effect in 1986 and was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on Nov. 3, 1983, is traditionally celebrated annually on the third Monday of January with galas, parades, speeches and more locally and across the nation.
It’s also the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, according to AmeriCorps, which has led this effort for the past quarter century.
Because we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic with numbers climbing daily, the normal recognitions and celebrations have come to a screeching halt to keep people safe.
And, in our eyes, that’s the smart thing to do.
In light of the unfortunate events that occurred Jan. 6 at our nation’s Capitol, there’s still a myriad of reasons to pay homage to MLK Day 2021 by just being kind to those in your community on that day and, for that matter, each and every day.
King fought for freedom not only for Black Americans, but for all Americans. We wonder whether he were still alive today how he would feel about all the racial and social unrest that has somehow returned with a new vengeance.
We’re sure he would be doing everything in his power to help heal our land, and that’s where we have the opportunity to try and do the same.
It doesn’t take much.
His life, which was tragically cut short April 4, 1968, exemplified the American spirit of perseverance and activism that transcends time and is still relevant today.
Most of King’s messages spoke of peace, which we desperately need in these times for obvious reasons.
King once said: “We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
Those words still are just as profound and true today.
So, even though this year’s MLK Day won’t be like years past, there’s still a reason to celebrate. Here’s hoping you make a difference when and where you can.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
