Next Monday, January 16, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday established in 1983 honoring the life, legacy and impact of Dr. King’s work advancing the civil rights of all Americans. As we look ahead to commemorate and celebrate MLK day as one of our holidays, I encourage you to pause and reflect on the meaning and spirit of this day, and offer the following thoughts and resources.
MLK’s memory and inspiration are faithfully maintained and advanced through the work of the King Center, whose theme for 2023 is “Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.” The Center is both a traditional memorial and programmatic nonprofit, dedicated to educating and inspiring new generations to carry forward King’s unfinished work, strengthen causes and empower change-makers who are continuing his efforts today. The website is worth a visit, and online donations are graciously accepted.
Many of us have listened to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. If you’re interested, here are some excerpts from one of his lesser-known but important speeches on racial injustice: MLK Speech.
More locally, we take this opportunity to salute community organizations and groups who are working to transform unjust systems, including The Root Social Justice Center, Windham County NAACP, and SUSU Community Farm. If you’re not familiar with these organizations please take a moment to explore their websites to learn about the important work they do.
And finally, this day represents an opportunity for WWHT to articulate and reinforce our commitment to promoting racial justice, fairness and equity in our work and interactions with our residents, members of our communities and each other. This commitment is embraced by our Board of Directors, in the context of their mission, advisory role and support for our REDI initiative.
Let’s follow Dr. King’s example by demonstrating the change committed individuals can make when working towards the common good. After all, the motto of MLK Day is “a day on, not a day off.”
