The United States have made important gains in fighting overt forms of racism, but many covert forms still continue to persist and go unchecked, anthropology professor Dr. Nicholas Kawa said. However, he believes this country has come a long way due to leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr.
“It's incredibly important to recognize the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others who sacrificed their lives for the dream that this country could become one of universal equality,” Kawa said.
As a prominent leader in the African American Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King displayed peaceful leadership and asserted the ideas of nonviolent resistance. He fought against racism, hate and prejudice by doing the opposite of his oppressors.
For that, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. should always be remembered. Here are seven ways we can remember him on his day.
- Watch the inauguration of President Barack Obama. After winning his second term in Nov. 2012, President Obama will again be sworn in as our 44th president. As the first non-white president serving his last term, this is a moment to be remembered in history. Dr. King would have been proud of the progress that’s happened only fifty years since his “I Have a Dream” speech.
- Search the “I Have a Dream” speech on YouTube and watch it. Its rhetoric still speaks to people today. As Dr. King said,“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”
- Participate in the MLK Unity March, beginning at 4 p.m. at the Multicultural Center. Bring a friend or two, and unite with the local community to remember Dr. King
- Spend your day volunteering. Student Voluntary Services is hosting its sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Go to the Facebook event page for more information.
- For people that may be religious, attend the memorial worship service at Christ Temple Church at 6 p.m. Dr. King was raised in a minister’s family and became a minister himself. His faith helped him lead through the Civil Rights Movement.
- On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., attend Eugene Robinson’s speaking event, “Is America Living the Dream?” at Pruis Hall. He will explore today’s race relations and talk about growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement.
- Remember Dr. King in your own way. If you don’t know very much about him, search him on Google or read about him in the library. Watch a movie or documentary about the Civil Rights Movement. Have friends over for a meal and remember Dr. King with loved ones. Do acts of kindness throughout the day. Whatever means you choose to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King, “commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit,” as his wife Coretta Scott King said.
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