Monday, January 19, 2009

Happy M.L.K. Day


Today is the day we pay homeage to Dr. Martin Luther King. Many acknowledge it as a national day of service in honor of his memory. I personally don't think we need to tie anything else to Dr. King's day. I mean we don't add anything to Washington's Birthday or Lincoln's Birthday, it's just their day. However, I do acknowledge service is better than a one day sale at Macy.

Here is one of my favorite speeches by this awesome, inspiring leader. Makes me cry every time. In this speech Dr. Kings speaks of the good samaritain. This story is the Christian faith in action. So if you choose service, serve in love and serve for more than one day. Find a charity or a cause that will bless those who benefit everyday, not just on a holiday, because Dr. King's work was not just 17 minutes speeches; it was hours of planning, coordination, communication with other groups, marches, prayer, writing...it was a work that was constant.



Part 1




Part 2
Have a truly blessed day.
Love and Grace,
Rhonda

3 comments:

Shawneda said...

I don't have a problem with people serving on the day set aside for Dr. King. Someone who never did service before may discover its benefits and continue doing it. That would be a great tribute to Dr. King too. Just a thought...

rhonda mcknight said...

I agree that some may find that they want to serve once they begin, however, I'm leary of anything that diminishes the impact of Dr. King's most poignant work and that's the legacy of civil/equal rights in this country. Once you begin tweaking what his legacy is about, it becomes very easy to forget.

We as African Americans struggle enough to keep our history before us; particularly in front of our young people. Many of them have no idea of the pain and suffering that was endured so that they could enjoy the freedoms they have today. And in truth there's still great disparity in eduction and economics in this country. 2008 did not pass us by without reminding us that we have a long way to go; evidenced by Jena Six and the aquittal of the police officers who murdered Sean Bell.

So my concern is that Dr. King's day not turn into a day where people forget the cornerstone of his legacy and that was equality for all. Dr. King's service was the action step to accomplish a larger goal.

Thanks for responding.

Love ya!

Cecelia Dowdy said...

Wow! Thanks for sharing! Happy Martin Luther King Day to you, too!