On Monday, many workers in the U.S. will have the day off in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observance. It’s a day we stop to remember what the late civil rights leader stood for and the battles he fought.
This year, instead of taking the day off, what if we all took action to make the world a better place? We should take the advice of the late Congressman John Lewis, who fought alongside King in the civil rights movement.
In 1994, Lewis proposed the initiative of making King’s holiday “a day on, not a day off.” The federal holiday honoring King became known that year also as the Martin Luther King Day of Service.
If you have Monday off work, are between jobs or are retired, there are ways to spend the day in service.
Libraries statewide will be closed for the holiday, so stop by over the weekend and check out some books to share with young readers to help them understand the important work King did for our nation. Here are just a few important books for children:
“My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr.” by Marion Dane Bauer
“The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.” by Johnny Ray Moore
“March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World” by Christine King Farris
“Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” by Doreen Rappaport
“I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Kadir Nelson
Spend the rest of the day finding a volunteer opportunity at a community service organization. Visit the website of your local United Way, reach out to a local club such as Rotary or find the nearest soup kitchen and see where and when they need the most help. While it might not be Monday, you can plan to help out on the weekend or another weekday.
Taking steps to better your community is an important way to honor King, who dedicated his life to taking action that affected the entire nation.
The big changes King sought certainly didn’t come in a day. But small changes through education, volunteering and spreading awareness of King’s work can lead to a better future for us all.
What better way to honor a man who once dreamed of making the world a better place for all?
— Tribune News Service
