Jan 16th 2023 MLK Day
Dr. Martin King Luther, Jr.
In his own words, Dr. King said, “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him”. Believe it or not, I had to read these words over and over. What does it mean? In simplicity it means you should not hate someone because they did something bad to you. Sometimes we find it hard to forgive, and think that somehow retaliation will protect us from getting hurt again; believing that fairness and justice must be served.
Dr. King was a Baptist Minister. He was also a social activist who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. His words remind me of holding onto the words of faith, wisdom, hope, and love. They remind me of the quotes in the bible: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14). They remind me, how many times should we forgive our brother and sister who sins against us? Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22).
On November 02, 1983, former President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to create a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. It is observed on the third Monday of January rather than directly on Dr. King’s birthday due to the reason that it follows the guidelines of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. The change was designed to schedule certain holidays so that workers had a number of long weekends throughout the year. I think we can all agree on this one subject regardless of political party that this was a great idea!
Dr. King advocated for non-violent activism. He was inspired by Biblical stories of Jesus, “turning the other cheek” and the Indian independence activist, Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of “satyagraha”, which means a policy of passive political resistance. Dr. King became the symbolic leader of African Americans. Other accomplishments during his life are as follows:
1955: The Montgomery Bus Boycott
1957: The founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
1963: He led the Birmingham Campaign
1963: The Great March on Washington, DC
1963: Chosen as Time Magazine’s Man of the Year
1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964
1964: The youngest recipient of Nobel Peace Prize
1965: 1965 Voting Rights Act
On this day of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s commemoration, may we not let others pull us so low as to hate them.
~Aurea
