The MLK Day of Service

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

As part of United We Serve, the President's national call to service initiative, the MLK Day of Service was instituted. Each year Americans across the country come together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to serve others in their neighborhoods and communities.

I urge you to think of this holiday as "A Day On Not A Day Off". Here is a compelling quote taken from MLK Online, "Each year on the third Monday in January, schools, federal offices, post office and banks across America close as we celebrate the birth, the life and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a time for the nation to remember the injustices that Dr. King fought. A time to remember his fight for the freedom, equality and dignity of all races and peoples. A time to remember the message of change through non-violence. Just as the theme of this page states: [MLK Online's web page] "Remember, Celebrate, Act! A Day On Not A Day Off!" Although many people see this, and other holidays as a "day without homework," or "a day to hang out with friends," it is much more than that; it is the celebration of equality, the celebration of freedom, and the celebration of a wonderful, wonderful man."

To find out more about the MLK Day of Service, go to mlkday.gov.

Photo: Martin Luther King Jr.
Originally uploaded by Black History Album