Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

The 60s was such a violent time in US history. Martin Luther played a roll in trying to unify our nation rather than watch it become divided and cause another civil war. Like the Kennedy's, you wonder what other accomplishment he would have achieved had he lived.

I took a cab ride yesterday across town. As I got in, the cab driver asked me if I minded if we stopped by his grandmother's house to drop off some soup. "She's 92 and not getting around so well," he said. He offered to give me a discount on the fare. I wasn't in any particular rush, and the guy's grandmother's house was in the Fillmore, right on the way, so I said no problem. This wasn't one of those chatty cab drivers looking to make a bond to get a good tip. No words were exchanged for the 10 minutes or so until we got to his grandmother's house. He goes to the door, and this wiry, gray haired black lady comes out and starts yelling about it being the wrong kind of soup. "I know, I know," said my driver to his grandmother. "I'll be back in a little while." He comes back to the car, and I remark to him "She looks like she's still getting around pretty well." He laughed and said, "she's still got the fire in the belly - she's the kind of lady that will ask you to help h... Read more

I like the concept except for one quibble- . . .Frederick Douglass deserves more attention than he gets in our contemporary consciousness. . .

Any man who pushed for the cause of peace (yes, peace does have its place) is a person worth remembering. Martin Luther King, Jr. was such an individual.

This holiday isn't celebrated where I live, but I see nothing wrong and a good deal right about a setting aside a day to honor the accomplishments of this man. While it is true that many persons contributed to the civil rights movement, and that King would likely have been among the first to suggest that such victories as have been achieved were not his alone, he is a valid and reasonable choice to serve as the symbol.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I've decided to post one of my favorite quotes from King, which comes from his last sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church. I believe that it speaks best of the man and what should be his contributions to society. King ultimately believed that true equality cannot be achieved without social justice. That was the aim of his message, one which in many respects remains unfulfilled today despite our advances in civil rights. “I’ve decided what I’m going to do. I ain’t going to kill nobody in Mississippi … [and] in Vietnam. I ain’t going to study war no more. And you know what? I don’t care who doesn’t like what I say about it. I don’t care who criticizes me in an editorial. I don’t care what white person or Negro criticizes me. I’m going to stick with the best. On some positions, cowardice asks the question, ‘is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘is it popular?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘is it... Read more

A deserving holiday for a deserving leader in the civil rights movement. I don't think MLK should receive all the credit but w/out him, I think the US may have been very different.

Reading quite a few of the comments below makes me wonder if there is some factory that spews out racist reviewers.

I can't deny the importance of Martin Luther King, Jr. The holiday itself, however, can often pass by without me even realizing it. When my birthday lands on a Monday, it occurs on MLK Jr. day. When I was an undergraduate, the day was usually marked by the BSEO (Black Self Education Organization) having a fit that the school would dare to hold classes that day, and tell everyone to skip class. I never noticed a significant decrease in student attendance.

Solenoid DH, those people who heckled your son were idiots. MLK pushed for equality and racial tolerance. There is still so much racism in this country, in all races. I feel bad for your son, I'd hate for something like that to happen to me. Anyway, I've marched in MLK parades before, it was a mixed crowd too and I didn't hear any crap like that. There shouldn't be a black history month, and why in Febuary, that's the shortest month. Black history should be intergrated into American history. Most of us, including myself, don't know enough about black history, and there isn't a lot of info in school textbooks. Unfortunately, I think most people just see this day as a day off from school or work.

I wish we would have developed more rituals to add meaning to this holiday, but it's an important one celebrating much more than the birthday of a great man. (Update) Boy, after having read over some of the posts, I have to add that this holiday is especially necessary as we definitely have a long way to go!

A holiday for political correctness. Get used to it.

He gets his own holiday, while Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, T. Roosevelt and others are just lumped together into something called President's Day. And great non-presidents like Franklin and Hamilton don't have any days at all.

He get to much credit and a lot of black people have done just as much as he did. And great presidents don't have a hoilday. It should be change to black people who help change our country in a big way.

There have been a lot of great Americans who have died for this country and I am not sure if Dr. King deserves a day to him self. May be it should be heroes day and we celebrate all the heroes of our past.

Instead of naming the day after King, the holiday should have celebrated an ideal instead: Brotherhood Day or something like that. As it stands now, MLK Day encourages racism. I say this because we have a MLK Day parade in our town every January. My son was in his high school's band and he marched with the band in the MLK Day Parade. Many of our black citizens shouted insults at him and any other white people who were marching, saying they had no business taking part in their black holiday celebration. I've come to dread that annual parade. I'm old enough to remember King very clearly, and this is the very divisiveness he preached against. My best friend in college (and he was my room mate) was black. He was a really nice guy and we had a great time together, and I had high hopes in those days that this nation would eventually get the spotlight off of people's skin color. But of course the opposite has happened. On Martin Luther King Day, we don't celebrate friendship & unit... Read more

You say Why must there be a Miss Black America, or Black Caucus,etc. You seem to have forgotten who made everything black and white. White people were the ones to hang the white only signs in America. They were the ones who labeled everything colored this and colored that. White people were the ones to exclude non-whites from everything that had any redeeming value. White/black restrooms...white\black drinking fountains...white/black entrances and exits...white/black schools...Major league baseball wasn't called the white major leagues but they were the only ones allowed to play. The negro leagues for example were called that because that's what they were. Unfortunately, many of those labels still exists. But don't confuse were it comes from. It comes from white bigotry. Things like the NAACP weren't created yesterday. Tell your 20 y/o son who doesn't understand race-based college admissions how his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc... benefitted from being white. Tell him t... Read more

Wow. Reading some of the posts here and especially seeing which ones were voted helpful or not, I can see that racism is still alive and well in America. After all that African Americans have given to this country without getting much in return until recently, the least we can do is honor the life of one of America's great leaders with a holiday. C'mon: the comment voted most helpful is some lame anecdote about how black people are racist?

This review is being reconstructed.....a new one will be up at a later date.

Shouldn't exist!

If we get a day off, I'm all for it! Thanks, MLK! I don't have to go to school today! :)

Holiday in the spirit of a man who believed in judging people on their character, not superficial shades of skintones. Can everyone stop obsessing on skin pigmentation already? It's not about color; it's what you do with your life.

This holiday makes about as much sense as Columbus Day and St. Patricks Day. It's designed to shut people up. Why not have George Wahshington Carver day. After all, where would we be without peanut butter?

First of all, I have the utmost respect for Martin Luther King, Jr. I believe that he was a brave and noble man who sacrificed his life for something that he believed in- and the Civil Rights Movement may not have been a success had it not been for his efforts. But it seems that this holiday spreads up more trouble every year. I don't understand why we should have a day honoring King, when we don't have a day honoring Malcom X, Medgar Evars, Rosa Parks and others who were just as instrumental in that movement. RFK doesn't have his own holiday- and he was a very important figure in that movement, as was JFK and LBJ. Do they have their own holidays? I agree with Solenoid DH- they should have some holiday honoring all of those people and celebrating the goals which African Americans finally achieved in the 1960s. I do not believe that simply because MLK was assassinated, he should get his own holiday. In that case- is there a Lincoln Day? A Garfield Day? A McKinley Day? A Kennedy Day? A M... Read more

I think a holiday should be given for all black people who have done things that tried to make America better. MLK's "I have a dream" speech was great, but it wasen't carried out. MLK really wasted his time. Look at black leaders today- Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc. Im not saying that MLK died for nothing, because a lot more black people today are treated better. But his real dream still hasen't happened yet.

i go all the way with this holiday it's not just for african americans. see if it wasn't for him people with different ethnicitys WOULD NEVER HAVE THE RIGHT to do what they do these days. His dream did come true and i stand ALL the way.

A holiday to appease Blacks(Hot Stuff)? I didn't know that Blacks were the only ones to support Martin Luther King, Jr. or civil rights for that matter. It's suppose to be a holiday to celebrate the man, his message, and above all the Cause. I hadn't realized just how many people are still against all the above. By the way, does Veterans' Day exist simply to appease veterans and Columbus Day simply for Italians? Sheer lunacy.

It's truly amazing that there is still so much ignorance in this country., amazing yet not unbelievable. Why honor a man who meant more to Blacks and The Civil Rights Movement and it's followers and supporters than probably any other human being to have EVER existed? Why give Dr. King a holiday? The question truly shows the ignorance and lack of compassion and understanding of what Blacks endured in this country of any person who dares to ask it. Sure there were many other great people who did great things for our country and just because they don't have a holiday why say Dr. King, who, by the way did have a doctorate, doesn't deserve a holiday. Why not push to have these other great people honored with holidays instead of coming down on Dr. King? This is the ONLY black man, hell, the only black person, in this country honored with a federal holiday in the midst of a vast sea of whites who are honored and some of you have the nerve to complain about it? Come on! Do you come acro... Read more

Some interesting comments that reflect the direction we've gone and how far or how little we've evolved as a society since MLK made his famous speech way back when. I agree that there ARE many people we don't shut businesses down to honor (SnuffySmith) who might well be as honorable as Dr. King. And it might also be more accurate and wiser to call this Brotherhood Day (SolenoidDH) putting the focus more on the message than on a single messenger (and I'm not suggesting he was any less important or profound JKooks). Overall I don't mind that the holiday exists but I am sometimes in awe of the fact that so many have never quite been able to pin down its true meaning. Sadly, other posters (Kroy, NewStuff, Green_Hornet and too many other throwbacks) prove what we haven't really come as far as we sometimes assume when it comes to both civil rights and basic human decency.

Wow. Reading the comments on this board make me sad, and make me realize why we need more people in our country LIKE Martin Luther King, Jr. He stood for nonviolence, and love of others. The day exists to honor a man who stands as a SYMBOL of nonviolence, social change and the idea that one person really can make a difference. It is not a black/white issue. The day is not reserved only for blacks. The day is not simply meant as a day off from work. MLK did have a dream. No, it has not yet come true, as this message board proves. However, it is in the power of each and every individual to treat each other well, open the lines of communication, and stand up against what is wrong - just as MLK did. I honor him, and others like him on this day - and I hope others will do some research on his life to discover what he truly stood for. We have a long, long way to go, but we each must take responsibility for our own role in changing the world - or at least our own little corner of it.

the comments in this forum make me realize that many non-blacks do not have the ability to empathyze with people of different cicumstances. thew insensitive statements made by some of you are prime examples of what MLK was fighting against. people like kroy who are insecure about there intelligence and intimidated by a black man who might be smarter than them so they spout vicious attacks to try to provoke us to act like what they call us. or fools like new stuff who can't think for themselves so they just stand behind other fools like kroy. ignorance is the root of racism as well as other evil things. educate yourselves. i would like to personally invite everyone, black, white, etc., to participate in this day. don't be afraid that some one won't agree with you.

Not a good idea.... Talk about disenfranchsing! Whites are not invited, welcomed or encouraged to participate in the days events. What a shame that even great presidents don't get thier own day. I hope that all changes when Regan leaves this world. Now there is a leader worth remembering and honoring.

I didn't read a single comment before I wrote this. I believe MLK Had a dream, but It was just that, especially here in the good ole USA. Americans will not see his dream in my life time or My childrens because The black race on the whole will not let it happen and neither will the media. I know I am not speaking for all blacks, but for the most part here is a race of people who still think America owes them something for enslaving them ions ago. They will continue to lean on that part of our history as a reason to be under-acheivers and also use it as an exuse every time they fail. I see it and so does everyone else at some point. As long as people even MENTION color instead of speaking to the world as HUMAN BEINGS void of color we will not see the struggle stop. I would also say that the black race struggles more than any other to differentiate themselves from others, in there dress, with there brand of speech or "ebonics' if you will which they claim should be allowed in all ... Read more

I'm seeing an overwhelming tidal wave of stupidity on both sides of this argument. I'll give MLK Day the benefit of the doubt because I couldn't really care less. Rather, I would rather honor this man than that race-monger Jesse Jackson, or even Al Sharpton, who make their money and stay in "power" by keeping those they "represent" (sellout) poor and uneducated. The idea of focusing on the message and not the messenger is a noble one, however, a role model such as Dr. King is absolutely necessary for that to ever happen. You can talk about the "message" until you're blue in the face, but it's not going to happen until someone actually does something proactive about it.

Snuffy Smith echos my sentiments. There have been many great people in our history. But we just don't shut down business as usuall to honour them. Maybe we should have ONE day set aside to honour many who have done great things.

It is an important day for reminding people about the injustices that have gone on in our country involving discrimination. If you choose not to celebrate it, go ahead. Just dont whine about it and let those who care about, it celebrate it

Unnecessary holiday because it continues to put a gap between races. I agree with Solenoid. This only serves to remind us of the days of being separated. A holiday like this should point to the future, not aim at a sordid past.

Obviously, you have this extremely influential and great man in your mind partly for the whole entire year. However, having a holiday devoted to him makes you reflect and realize and culture how much significance his life had. It is the greatest opportunity for teachers of young students to teach the kids about how great MLK really was. His visions of racial harmony still echo today. If only they could get a Malcolm X Day on May 19th. As for the comment on the bottom of the page, I can't even think of a more simple answer for that question besides he was the single most influential civil rights activist of the 20th century and you are apparently not.

How can you be so cruel and horrific?! While I can understand that a holiday may not be necessary, considering all the important people who do not have a holiday, it is ridiculous to say this is a holiday to "appease" black people. Intolerance and hatred fuel too many horrible people in the world. This day is dedicated to stopping those awful people.

why should he get a holiday when I don't?

I rank MLK day beside Presidents Day(honoring slave owners). I do not honor former slave owners, even though they were the leaders(?) of our country. And I don't honor them just because of their skin color. That, I believe, would be rasism. MLK did a lot for equal rights. His ideals should have a profound effect on all races. I trully have a great deal of respect for the man. As for the street naming and the national holiday: I think he may have said to all residents, "Honor me by fulfilling my 'I have a dream' speech. Not this wasteful way. It doesn't help make things right." Most holiday are politically motivated, anyway. Personally, I choose to honor the man and his ideals, not the day.

MLK Jr. was an amazing man. We all know this. We should celebrate these people, I agree. And one day, with anough amazing men, we'll never have to work again. Oh yeah, I like how unified our country seems when you realize every city in America has a street devoted to Dr. King. I'm not saying we should take world-changers for granted, but there are other and better ways to appreciate someone.

Before I even write this, I know I’m going to get blasted. There have been lots of people in history that have made significant contributions to this country. Martin Luther King Jr. is certainly one of those people. I just don’t see the need to stop the whole world to observe a day just for him. We don’t shut down business for Susan B. Anthony or anyone else. If you want to have a day to honor someone then that’s fine, just don’t shut the world down to do so. I have also noticed, and maybe it’s just me, that there always seems to be a rise in racial tension for about a three day period on day, before, and after the day. Seemingly stems from a regeneration of hate that has long passed, something I don’t think he would hold much respect for. Now before everyone starts blasting be sure to read and understand what I wrote. I did not criticize him only the holiday. There are other holidays I do not care for either; I will get to them as well.

A tribute to the fight for equal rights between the "races" in the States. Important! :-)