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To commemorate the leader of the civil rights movement
in this country, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday is celebrated the
third Monday of January each year. Although Dr. King was assassinated
in 1968, the holiday did not come into being for many years. It was
not until 1983, when President Reagan tried to pass a bill to make this an
official national holiday. After a tough fight, the bill was finally
signed into law in 1986. |
Martin Luther King Day Facts and History
Martin
Luther King Day (U.S. Embassy): Facts,
Information and Links relating to Dr. King and the holiday.The
Meaning of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (The King Center):
An article written by Coretta Scott King about her husband, Dr. King and
what the holiday means to us all. The
King Center: The King Center is the official,
living memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., leader of America’s greatest nonviolent movement for
justice, equality and peace. King
Papers Project (Stanford University): Extensive
resource of text to documents and speeches of Dr. King. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Nat'l Historic Site (Nat'l Park Service):
Information on Dr. King and his birth-home in Atlanta, Georgia. MLK
Online (Estate of Dr. King): Information and
links relating to Dr. King and the holiday. Martin
Luther King (Holiday Origins): Information on the origins of MLK Day
and related links.
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Togetherness
and Diversity should be the theme of gifts for this holiday. On this
day give a little more of yourself to others around you. You can
give out small tokens of appreciation to your friends and coworkers.
The gifts neither need to be large or expensive, just a little something
to show those around you that you care. Extend the gift giving to
those who are normally not on your gift list.
Small
Gifts:
Purchase small gifts such as a piece of candy, pins, cards or stickers and
distribute them to your friends.
Diversity:
If you would like to give larger gifts, you can maintain a theme of
African American heritage. Giving these gifts will bring together
the ideas of diversity and togetherness. Some gifts could include:
Get
:
Host a get together. You can either invite friends over your house
for dinner or for just coffee and cake. You can also make
reservations at a local cafe and meet them there. Someone I know had
recently invited me to an "old friends - new friends" get
together - it is a good way to bring together different groups of people
and spread the friendship. |
