Recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day

As we look ahead to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day next week, we want to lift up the words of others who share our commitment to learning, and amplify all voices and experiences. In our newsletters, we work to recognize observances and holidays that center the voices and experiences of historically excluded peoples in the United States as a part of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Learn about the history of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The National Museum of African American History & Culture details the 15 year battle to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a holiday.

Recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day in your school and community. Learning for Justice details the ways that teachers can avoid “a sanitized narrative” about Dr. King’s work, and accurately represent and teach his “more radical approach to justice” which requires antiracist action and not colorblind neutrality. 

We encourage you to seek out the many voices speaking and writing about Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On the National Civil Rights Museum website, Dr Ibram X. Kendi writes, “If King’s well-known dream symbolized the glorious march of racial progress over the last five decades, then King’s unknown nightmare symbolized the inglorious march of racist progress over the last five decades.”  In a New York Times interview, bell hooks reflects on philosophy and race: “I always think, “What does Martin Luther King want me to do today?” Then I decide what Martin Luther King wants me to do today is to go out into the world and in every way that I can, small and large, build a beloved community."