True peace is not merely the absence of tension;
Martin Luther King
it is the presence of justice.”
Today the United States commemorates the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. This federal holiday is always observed on the third Monday of January and this year, it falls on the actual birthday of this celebrated civil rights leader who was assassinated more than a half a century ago at the age of 39.
Drawing inspiration from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King led a nonviolent movement in the late 1950s and 1960s to achieve legal equality for African-Americans in the United States. He went on to lead similar campaigns against poverty, social injustice and international conflict, always maintaining fidelity to his principles that men and women everywhere, regardless of color or creed, are equal members of the human family.
It was President Ronald Reagan who signed a bill in 1983 that added Martin Luther King Jr. Day to the list of federal holidays, commemorating King’s contribution to the civil rights movement. The holiday was officially observed starting in 1986. In 1994, under then-President Bill Clinton, it became the only federal holiday dedicated to volunteerism, after Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act. Americans are encouraged to observe the day “with acts of civic work and community service” in honor of Dr. King’s legacy.
His words still resonate today.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Martin Luther King
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
References: www.npr.org and www.thekingcenter.org
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credit: Freepik.com)