A day on not a day off

"If you want to be important-wonderful.

If you want to be recognized-wonderful.

If you want to be great-wonderful.

But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant...

By giving that definition of greatness, it means everbody can be great because everybody can serve.

You don't have to have a college degree to serve...

You only need a heart full of grace.

A soul generated by love.

And you can be that servant".

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

This quote has to be my favorite of several great quotes by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I think it touches me so deeply because it is at the root of what the Civil Rights movement was all about-ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things. Undoubtedly and with good reason the history books have magnified the people who were involved in the movement but the truth is that many if not all of them were ordinary citizens who saw wrong and wanted to right it, who saw injustice and wanted to strive for a more just society.

Saying this makes me think about today and the life and times we live in. Many people in our generation are out in the community doing something but many are not. Being the eternal optimist that I am I can't allow myself to believe the hype of our elders- that we're lazy, I have to believe that  they feel like they are not in the position to make change. That they don't know the right people, or they feel like they don't have the time. Neither of these are true, Rosa Parks was a seamstress and the Secretary for the local NAACP. When she was on the bus that day I'm sure the last thing going through her mind was if she knew the right people or not, she saw an injustice and stood up for what she believed in.

Working for change is what the MLK holiday has always been about for me. Unless I was working in the Legislature without the day off I always try to do something to commemorate his legacy. One year it was planting trees at the New Holly development, other years it has been participating in the MLK rally and March and even serving on a panel at one of the workshops. My point is that everyday people can make change and have an impact just like politicians and other highly regarded people. I'll end this entry with my 2nd favorite Dr. King quote:

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others"

Here's hoping you make Dr. King's birthday a day on not a day off

-Ed

Comments

[Tara]

It's on a small scale, but for the past few years I have been trying to do something to acknowledge the holiday. I relisten or reread an MLK speech, I rent a film, etc. This year, I'm planning to watch at least the first half of Spike Lee's Katrina documentary. I keep meaning to see this movie, but never make the time. What better time than this holiday?

[Tara]

I was reading the paper today and followed up a link to this website: http://www.thekingcenter.org/

If you go to the home page the first thing that comes up is Dr. King giving the speech Ed excerted from above.

[alison]

I watched a number of specials on Dr. King yesterday. He was so young to lead a revolution. He was 34 when he gave the "I have a Dream" speech and 35 when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I wonder if he knew how exceptional he was or if he thought he was an ordinary man? We can make a difference, we just need to Do Something.

[mrsmoy]

I thought this was a really interesting article about how some people think Dr. King's message has been watered down, especially here in Seattle.

Are we losing sight of MLK's vision?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/299768_kingday15.html

This passage especially struck me.

"We think of civil rights on (King's) birthday and black history in February, and we leave it at that," said Matthew Lyons, a Seattle University sophomore and a Black Student Union officer. "We need to realize the problems with institutional racism.

"I think Seattle is one of the better cities in the United States in acknowledging Dr. King and civil rights. But sometimes Seattle needs to realize there are still problems in a very liberal society," he said.