17 Jan Martin Luther King Day: A Commemoration and a Call to Action

How wonderful it is to start the year with a day that is so hopeful. As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the man and his legacy, we also acknowledge the inherent call to action. Celebrating how he stood up and led the charge for change calls us to evaluate our own actions and power. It invites each of us to strive for change to create positive impact in the world and within our community.

The Road to Designating a National Holiday

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister, an activist for social justice and a leader in the civil rights movement from the mid-1950’s until his assassination in April 1968. Through peaceful protests, sit-ins, defying Jim Crow and serving time in jail, plus moving speeches and sermons, including the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King demanded racial, economic, and civic equality.

Congressmen John Conyers Jr. first introduced the idea for MLK Day in 1968. It wasn’t signed into law until 1983, by President Ronald Reagan (with a push from a Stevie Wonder soundtrack, Coretta Scott King, and 6 million petition signers along the way). The first official celebration took place the third Monday of January in 1986. Although it wasn’t until 2000 that all 50 states finally adopted it as a national holiday and a day off work with pay. Senators Harris Wofford and John Lewis introduced the King Holiday and Service Act that President Clinton signed into law in 1994, guiding the holiday to how it stands today as a day of education, service and giving back.

Democracy in Peril

Among the outcomes of King’s efforts was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The latter, in particular, outlawed discriminatory voting practices and legally ended the Jim Crow era.

King’s focus on civil and voting rights resonates today because these are still ongoing issues. Gerrymandering—moving constituent boundaries to favor a candidate of one party, taking away entire communities’ voices—continues to abound. In the first six months of 2021, 22 states enacted more restrictive voting laws which primarily affect Black and Brown people. In fact, The United States was described as a democracy in decline for the first time in an annual list by a Stockholm-based think tank (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance–International IDEA). The decision cited the US for “a year marked by disputed election results…and the passage of restrictive voting laws.” (IDEA 2022)

There is still work to do.

Discussion, Action Around Civil Rights, Current Issues

While King’s work centered on the Civil Rights movement and specifically the Jim Crow laws at that time in the south, it served as a barometer for the overall state of racism in the country. Images of the aftermath of the bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church and the deaths of four little girls, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the lunch counter sit-ins, and the march across the Pettus Bridge in newspapers and television stirred a yearning for justice and equality. Demonstrations brought people of all backgrounds together across the country.

Nearly 60 years later, Black people are still 20% more likely, by percentage of population, to be stopped by police. (NYU, 2020). Disparity abounds across many other indicators: salary, access to healthcare, affordable housing, and more.

Many see the legacy of Martin Luther King as a guide today for social and political activism. Economic justice, climate change and more are all critical issues that demand attention.

Hope for the Future

There’s an adage that says, “if you want to catch the bus, pray you’ll catch the bus and then run like he**.” It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the deep divisions in the US today. We’re also facing personal struggles with the impact of the COVID pandemic on our health and prosperity and how we build our day-to-day lives.

The cliché, “change starts with you” is nonetheless true. Start with actions you can make in your own community. Can you convene conversations around current issues? Get involved in your child’s school. Implement a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program in your company. Don’t be silent when you see injustice.

“We have an opportunity to seize the moment,” says Elmer Dixon, Founder and President of Executive Diversity Services. “I am hopeful for the youths that I talk to, including at school presentations and with my own grandchildren.”

As Dr. King reminds us, each small step makes a difference. What will you do today to make for a better tomorrow?

Resources

Executive Diversity Services, “The Tipping Point for Change in USAmerica.” https://www.executivediversity.com/2020/06/12/the-tipping-point-for-change-in-usamerica/

Feyche, Marie, May 31, 2021. “US states have enacted 22 restrictive voting laws so far this year: report” https://www.jurist.org/news/2021/05/us-states-have-enacted-22-restrictive-voting-laws-so-far-this-year-report/

IDEA, “Global State of Democracy Report 2021: Building Resilience in a Pandemic Era” https://www.idea.int/gsod/global-report#chapter-2-democracy-health-check:-an-overview-of-global-tre

NYU.edu, “Research Shows Black Drivers More Likely to Be Stopped by Police.” https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/may/black-drivers-more-likely-to-be-stopped-by-police.html

Porterfield, Carlie, “U.S. Named A ‘Backsliding Democracy’ For The First Time On European Think Tank’s Annual List” https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/11/22/us-named-a-backsliding-democracy-for-the-first-time-on-european-think-tanks-annual-list/?sh=10f41e917fd9

Turner, Tatyana, “Two different holidays, one shared mission: In Illinois Jan. 17 will be dedicated to both Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali” https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-mlk-inaugural-illinois-muhammad-ali-day-20220115-jmwffzgmszaexjmovpunf2j3r4-story.html