“Onward and Upward.” This is the phrase Ntakirutimana Francine (freshman, biology) chose to use when asked what ideal she believes Martin Luther King Day represents. She further explained her point by saying that her dictionary defined this idea as moving “toward a better condition or a higher level.” This idea of progress and optimism was further echoed with ideas such as “equal rights for humanity” from Catarina Falcao (freshman, undecided), and “a day to remember that people are equal. . . it doesn’t matter who you are [or] what class you are” from Elianna Srikureja (senior, English), and finally, a day to remember that MLK “was about justice for all, and peace” from Allana Benjamin (freshman, biology). There is something that binds these students together beyond their insights. They, along with other AU students, chose to serve others on MLK Day.
I interviewed six individuals who spent January 17 (Martin Luther King Day) serving others in one of two ways. Elianna answered the question, “How did you spend your MLK day?” by saying, “I spent it volunteering at the sewing club. We were making bags for kids that are going into foster care so that they have something more permanent that they can put their stuff in other than a trash bag.”
Tsitsi Pazvakawamabwa (freshman, biology) was in another group that spent the day helping with the Benton Harbor drinking water crisis. She said, “We worked with Harbor of Hope to hand out water cases to the residents of Benton Harbor . . . I took contact info as cars pulled in while others carried water cases to cars, and others handed out masks as well as recycling bags . . . so that when they come for more water they can recycle their used bottles.” Every person I spoke to put their words of progress and hope to action by spending the special day in service to others.
On January 15, 1929 Martin Luther King Jr. was born. He lived a life dedicated to fighting for the equity of people from all backgrounds as a leader of the Civil Rights Movement and a beacon of change. This life was cut short on April 4, 1968 when he was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee. According to this Stanford article, he was, “[preparing] for a march the following Monday on behalf of striking Memphis sanitation workers.” He lived his life in service to others and did so until his death. Today we celebrate his life and what he stood for on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In the celebration of his life, many of us remember that he fought oppression and pain with nonviolence and peace, but some of the things he fought for were not always appreciated and are not always remembered. In an article in Time, multiple historians were called on to speak to the life of MLK. One of them, Gary Dorrien, said that Dr. King went against, “the Civil Rights establishment, the Johnson Administration, and his closest advisors by opposing the Vietnam War.” According to Martin K. Honey, he also;
“strongly criticized America’s racial form of capitalism that ‘gives luxuries to the classes and takes necessities from the masses.’ He stood strongly with unions, which he called the strongest antidote to poverty. In his Poor People’s Campaign, he sought to reorder our national priorities from funding war, tax cuts and bailouts for the rich to insuring every person the opportunity for a good education, health care as a human right, a decent job, and a viable income.”
According to this article, as a result, “King was [arguably] the most hated person in America during his lifetime.” This Smithsonian article supports this point by showing that Dr. King “died with a public disapproval rating of nearly 75 percent.”
This sentiment has since dramatically shifted, with an overwhelming majority of Americans saying they support him and his work. However, as a result of the mixed feelings Dr. King received, the journey to honor his life in all 50 states was a struggle that lasted from the year of his death to a controversial victory in 2000. It began with the work of senator John Conyers who pushed to have the holiday through multiple petitions of Congress, support from fellow politicians and celebrities, and millions of Americans who wanted this day to become a reality. Finally, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill that made MLK day a federal holiday. This, however, was only the beginning of the journey, as it would take another 17 years before all 50 states accepted the holiday, and many of these states did so with caveats. According to this Smithsonian article and this Forbes article, multiple states, particularly ones below the Mason-Dixon line, joined MLK day with a holiday that celebrated both Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee, leaders of the former confederacy who Martin Luther King strongly opposed. The final state to officially accept MLK Day as a state holiday was South Carolina. According to this Washington Post article, this was done when the governor of South Carolina, Jim Hodges, signed a bill that made MLK Day an official holiday as long as May 10 would be officially considered Confederate Memorial Day in the state. This was something that the NAACP did not appreciate, and the article continues by saying that the “NAACP state chapter President James Gallman declined an invitation to attend the signing.” It is also pertinent to note that as of the time I am writing this article, both Mississippi and Alabama continue to officially celebrate both MLK Day and Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s birthday on the very same day.
It is true that this day has come with controversy, but the question remains: What ideal does Martin Luther King Day represent, and how can we actively honor this day and the man behind it? There are many answers to this question, ranging from emailing your Senator to just relaxing for the day. One such method of honoring this time can be seen in a statement made by the US Department of the Interior:
“Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service (MLK Day) is the only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a national day of service – a ‘day on, not a day off.’ Participation in service activities has grown each year as more Americans are encouraged to provide meaningful change in their communities.”
The history of his holiday may be contentious, but the idea of service is one that indisputably resonated in the life of Martin Luther King. It is also one that was shown through the service done by our students to build the community. Jordan Anderson (freshman, pre-physical therapy) summarized it perfectly when she said that, “going out into the community and continuing that legacy is what [MLK Day] should really be about.”
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.