A Day On, Not A Day Off

In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service. Every year, we dedicate this day to the remembrance, celebration and continuation of Dr. King’s ideologies and the rights that he advocated during his lifetime; the fact that all men and women, regardless of outward appearance, are created unequivocally equal. We remember the passion of Dr. King’s protests as he became an instrumental leader in the Montgomery Bus Boycotts of 1954 and countless other peaceful protests in the name of equality. In fact, Dr. King was arrested a total of 30 times for his participation in the Civil Rights Movement and his speeches on empowerment, love, peace and equality, as well as his fight against poverty and injustice. Dr. King remains a role model for currents activists as we continue the legacy of nonviolent protests. An unprecedented push for civil rights legislation resulted from a national outrage that was broadcasted in 1963, when Dr. King led a coalition of civil rights organizations in a nonviolent protest in what was described at the time as the most segregated city in Alabama: Birmingham. This protest illuminated the brutality of city police to young black residents who were assaulted by dogs and water hoses through television sets. We also remember the power of the words he delivered in 1963 to over 250,000 civil rights activists at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., during his “I Have a Dream” speech. This speech is even more inspiring considering that Dr. King improvised a section after being compelled by the audience to share the dreams he had for the future. “As we walk, we must make the pledge that we must always march ahead. We cannot turn back,” said Dr. King, in his infamous dream speech. His words still hold true. Durk Wiglesworth, alongside Steven and Amy Hernandez, were visiting the Inland Empire from Chicago when they heard that the San Bernardino City Hall hosted a statue of Dr. King that contains a dedication titled “The Dreamer.” “…through Dr. King’s hard work, we have progressed as a nation to open the eyes of our society that everyone is equal and should be treated fairly,” said Amy Wiglesworth-Hernandez. We remember the tragic loss of a world leader on April 4, 1968, when Dr. King was shot in Memphis, TN, while lending his hand in a protest against intolerable working conditions and unfair wages. All across the United States, people are getting involved in the enduring ideals that Dr. King sacrificed his life for. There has been a nationwide call to ensure that Martin Luther King Day is a day on, not off, whether that mean volunteering at a local organization, raising funds to continue the fight for a universal equality, or simply spreading the values that the Civil Rights Movement advocated. As Dr. King said, “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” President Barack Obama, who has identified Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a hero and role model, addressed the nation this week to share his thoughts on Dr. King. “In a world full of poverty, he called for empathy; in the face of brutality, he placed his faith in non-violence. His teachings remind us we have a duty to fight against poverty, even if we are wealthy; to care about the child in the decrepit school long after our own children have found success; and to show compassion toward the immigrant family, knowing that we were strangers once, too. Dr. King transformed the concepts of justice, liberty, and equality, and as he led marches and protests and raised his voice, he changed the course of history.”