Guest Opinion | Let’s remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

||| FROM MICHELL MARSHALL |||

Today, we celebrate the Martin Luther King Birthday Holiday because, back in 1983, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to establish that Federal Holiday. It was approved by 78% of the House of Representatives, and 78% of the Senators.

When President Ronald Reagan signed that legislation into law, he said two things that I hope will be remembered every year, as we celebrate this holiday. First, Reagan referred to the last five words of our nation’s Pledge of Allegiance, as he recalled that during the time Dr. King grew up . . . and I quote President Reagan: “In a nation that proclaimed liberty and justice for all, too many black Americans were living with neither.”

Neither liberty NOR justice, he said. But President Reagan went on to celebrate how Americans had worked to correct that injustice: “As a democratic people, we can take pride in the knowledge that we Americans recognized a grave injustice and took action to correct it.”

To me, that one sentence from President Reagan best explains why, on the second Monday of each January, we honor Dr. King and the civil rights movement that he helped lead. It was a movement in which Americans took yet
another step toward the purpose of the United States Constitution, “to form a more perfect union.”

Today, President Reagan might put it this way: “As a democratic people, we must continue to recognize injustices, and celebrate with pride when we act to correct those injustices.”

Each of us has experienced situations where people who are seen as “different” are treated differently – perhaps bullied, or just ignored, or perhaps not allowed to join with others who see them as “different.”

When we see that happening, that is OUR opportunity to reflect on how Dr. King dedicated his life. And to recall President Reagan’s praise for American Values when we recognize an injustice being done, and then take action to correct it.