The Meaning of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
By Coretta Scott King

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example -- the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit.

We commemorate Dr. King’s inspiring words, because his voice and his vision filled a great void in our nation, and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles. Yet, Dr. King knew that it wasn’t enough just to talk the talk, that he had to walk the walk for his words to be credible. And so we commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans.

We call you to commemorate this Holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity with the vibrant spirit of unconditional love that was his greatest strength, and which empowered all of the great victories of his leadership. And with our hearts open to this spirit of unconditional love, we can indeed achieve the Beloved Community of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream.

May we who follow Martin now pledge to serve humanity, promote his teachings and carry forward his legacy into the 21st Century.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History Month
Selected reference sources

A Celebration of the Man and the Holiday
Each year on the third Monday of 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.

An Act of State: The Execution of Martin Luther King by William F. Pepper. List Price: $25.00 Price: $17.50

The Martin Luther King You Don't See On TV
It's become a TV ritual: Every year in mid-January, around the time of Martin Luther King's birthday, we get perfunctory network news reports about "the slain civil rights leader." The remarkable thing about this annual review of King's life is that several years -- his last years -- are totally missing, as if flushed down a memory hole.

The Forgotten Teachings of Martin Luther King
Every year America pays tribute to the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even little children can recite an oft-repeated phrase about "the content of our character." Few Americans, however, are familiar with King's profound teachings on the very issue that is tearing our country apart – affirmative action. Without fear of accountability, politicians distort King's message and invoke his name for their own political gain.

Target: Martin Luther King
Beyond the black community, Martin Luther King Day is a rote commemoration. There are speeches to report and civic lessons to be taught, but that's where the impact of this occasion ends. King is what you might call an empty icon. His beliefs have been stripped of their materiality, so that he stands for an abstract ideal of brotherhood—not the sort of thing to inspire the show-me young. Yet, in an era when money talks and the military walks, King's politics are more important than his persona.

Towards The Creation Of An Institute Of The Black World
The State of the Black World Conference, which was convened in Atlanta, is now history. It was one of the most powerful gatherings of people of African descent in the last half-century.

The Other King
King, the man, is, along with Mohandas Gandhi, one of the two most internationally revered symbols of nonviolence in the 20th century. He spent his too-brief adult life defying authority and convention, citing a higher moral authority, and gave hope and inspiration for the liberation of people of color on six continents.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
View the complete body of work of Martin Luther King at the Stanford University archives online. This collection includes speeches, sermons, media coverage and much more.

Click Here: Visit the King Center in Atlanta

African / Black Studies
It is important to keep in mind is that not all Black people are "African American."

The term "African American," when used as a catch-all phrase belies the incredible diversity that exists among Black people.

While diversity among White racial groups is generally recognized, i.e., German, Italian, Polish, etc., Blacks of all nationalities are often lumped together as "African American," with no regard for Blacks who identify as Guianese, Jamaican, Senegalese, South African, or otherwise. Few White Germans, Poles, Italians, or Swedes would care to be stripped of their individual racial identities, nationalities and cultural heritage and simply be called "European Americans."

In the end, the only thing we all share in common are our differences—one from the other. Those unique characteristics are our cause to celebrate.

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