The middle of January, one of our darkest months, seems like a fitting time for a national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He shined a bright spotlight on the systemic racial injustice and inequality suffered by Black Americans, leading to major societal changes including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Although he was assassinated in 1968 at 39 years old, his brief life was one of the most influential in modern American history.
As we mark the 40th anniversary of the first official observance of Martin Luther King Day, Language of Friendship would like to offer you and your friends several suggestions to memorialize Dr. King’s legacy of human dignity, respect and love this holiday weekend.
Listen: Numerous audio and video clips of MLK are available online. Hearing his poetic words in his own voice makes clear the power of his pulpit.
Watch: The 2014 movie Selma is a dramatization of the 1965 civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, which were led by Martin Luther King, John Lewis and Hosea Williams. Capturing the tension of the time, the film is intense but highly worth watching.
Read: MLK wrote and published quite a few of his own books, and many others have written a wide range of books about him–from biographies to children’s picture books.
Serve: Dr. King was known for calling others to service as well as civic action. This need to act on what we wish to protect or change, is as relevant now as it was when MLK Day, now often referred to the MLK Day of Service, was first observed in 1986.
Visit: If you are looking to travel, several destinations throughout the United States recognize and honor the legacy of Dr. King. Or, many local parks provide a communal space for sharing your own personal reflections with your friends.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Language of Friendship 
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