Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2016

Here is an excerpt from The Meaning of The King Holiday by Coretta Scott King (Mrs. King and activist b. 1927- 2006).  MLK was an inspiring leader whom I personally admire greatly for his leadership, motivation, and hope he gave to so many during a darker time in our nation’s history.  Take some time to listen to the “I Have a Dream Speech” if you haven’t in a while.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit.

We commemorate Dr. King’s inspiring words, because his voice and his vision filled a great void in our nation, and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles. Yet, Dr. King knew that it wasn’t enough just to talk the talk, that he had to walk the walk for his words to be credible. And so we commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans.