Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 17
Many met him for the first time in his letter to the editor of The Atlanta Constitution titled “Kick Up Dust.” This letter would begin a long chapter in America’s history of one fighter for civil rights and equal opportunity. This chapter would span thirty-nine years marked by education, nationwide marches, a Nobel Peace Prize, and speeches heard around the world until it ended abruptly on April 4, 1968.
Born Michael King, Martin Luther King, Jr. has become a symbol for change and fighting through struggles for freedom. Lauded for his ability to inspire crowds and bring attention to racial inequities, King was but one person in a sea of millions that came before, fought alongside, and would follow his powerful direction. It is important as we continue in the fight for equal rights and justice we honor the names and faces of the ones we know.
On the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, we honor a man positioned as representation of the struggle of millions that would go unnamed and overlooked. We honor the hard work undertaken by a person that stood against injustice in pursuit of equality. We honor him in recognition of his impact and in our work to realize our ability to make changes in the same direction. As he outlined in his famous speech, originally titled “Normalcy – Never Again,” but widely recognized as the “I Have a Dream” speech, we seek the free flowing of justice and the release of oppression. We aim to accomplish this by making our impact as resounding as possible in and around our community. As he was one person, we are many that come together to share in the dream that diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are built into the foundation of the system now and forever more.
On this date, we invite you to also take time to honor the face of a man we know by name for the continuation of a movement that persists today. We take this day to highlight his courage and strength while inviting you to join as individuals to continue this movement. Join us in partnering with the organizations connected to our outreach efforts, join us in learning more about the observances we add to our calendar, join us in celebrating the new communities of companies and brands we highlight, and perhaps most importantly, continue to join us as we welcome new members with new ideas and new perspectives on how we can continue to support every individual around us. Let’s take this day to celebrate the life of a man that – as one person – stood in the face of adversity and gathered among the people to change the world.
Sources:
- https://www.ajc.com/news/local/young-mlk-letter-the-editor-revealed-the-man-would-become/errtQtc9wFejZFGhM9n4yO/
- https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety
- https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-resources/major-king-events-chronology-1929-1968