How I Spent my MLK Day

This Martin Luther King Jr Day, I educated myself.

I spent time reading articles about activism and the potential horrors that come with it. I read about all of what the great Martin Luther King Jr did and how he was treated because of it. I read about his wife, Corretta Scott King who was influential in MLK’s successes. I read about some of the darkest parts of our history, because history text books don’t tell us nearly enough of what happened in our country. I read the true statement that, as news reports want you to believe, Martin Luther King did not “give his life to this country,” he was murdered because of our country.

We have come so far, but we have so far to go. Without doubt, I know that King would be fighting today, and would recognize the civil and social justice that is going down in history right now.

This day, I’ve thought back to how our world is in shambles right now. How other presidents in history have celebrated this day by exercising community service in memory of MLK, and how 45 is golfing on this day. How POC are continually killed by cops. How the very same people stating that MLK was an incredible, great leader, also called Colin Kapernick a “snowflake” for peacefully protesting something very real and valuable.

I think about MLK every day as a role model and an incredibly important part of our history as Americans and as people of this world. I look at the world now, and I would love to believe that so many activists right now are working because they, too, see a positive future for our country, even though it currently isn’t there. There is so much love in this world, and I believe that someday, MLK’s dream come true.

I encourage you all too, to take these days off as a Call to Action. Educate yourselves on the true history of our country. Find your passion for your activism. Plan another event, gather rallies, make a protest sign. The world is ours, and we all know you have the day off. Make it worth your while. Make it honorable to all of our family of activists. We will make it worth it.

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