MLK Day: A forgotten holiday

As Americans we celebrate many holidays without knowing the true meaning of the holiday or recognizing the person who is being honored on the day. Such is the case for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. At CSC the day consists of multiple speakers coming in to speak about King and what he stood for and there is even a march from Third Street back to campus. These events are nice and have semi-good turnouts but most of the students are forced to attend because of class requirements. Some people only remember King for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, but could not really tell you anything else about him.
Who is to blame for the lack of knowledge for a man who did so much for the movement and for the advancement of colored people across the country? Do we blame the educators for not fitting such an important figure into the curriculum? Or do we blame the parents for not teaching their children? It’s safe to say that King played a major role in helping end segregation but we do not show him or his holiday the respect that they both deserve. We should honor King for being a man who accomplished so much through non-violence, which was one of the biggest principles he tried to teach people.
King was a scholar and academically ahead of his time; he entered college in 1944 as an early admissions student at only 15 years old. King attended Morehouse College in his hometown of Atlanta; graduated at 19 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1948 and another degree in divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary, Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1951 and a doctorate in theology from Boston University, Boston, in 1955.
King was one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement due to his unwavering bravery and determination. King was arrested more than 30 times while working to help colored people earn equality. He was thrown into a leadership position after being voted by the local African-American leaders to be the spokesperson for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. From that point on there was no looking back for King, who was the leader until his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, April 4, 1968.
This day should be more than just skipping classes to listen to a lecture in the Ballroom or a walk from downtown to campus. This day should be spent learning about a man who put the people first and himself last. We should try to help someone other than ourselves on his day, King wanted people to be treated as equals, so instead of simply listening to a speaker we should focus on treating each other better.