Celebrating martin luther king jr. day
This coming Monday, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in which we not only remember the life and work of the late civil rights leader, but are also encouraged to serve their communities in helpful and meaningful ways. What many need to learn about the holiday is that it is the only federal holiday the Congress has also designated as a national day of service.
Though MLK Day has been observed since 1986, it was in the 1990s when it became a Day of Service through the King Holiday and Service Act co-written by then Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis. On August 23rd, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the legislation.
As divisions run rampant in our country, volunteering in our communities has become an increasingly significant way in which we are reminded of each other’s humanity and that we are all in this together. It takes each of us arm in arm to progress our nation forward. No person is an island. This MLK Day, we encourage you to help strengthen and unite your community in the performance of volunteer service.