“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.
You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.
You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace.
A soul generated by love.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
MONDAY, JANUARY 20—Serve in your community this week and learn more about civil rights, as the nation collectively remembers the prophetic life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the third Monday in January annually brings the celebration of a pivotal figure in American history who, during his lifetime, worked ceaselessly for the civil rights movement and nonviolent activism.
However, this year, millions of Americans are struggling with conflicting anxieties and dreams as the King holiday coincides with the inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as president.
In The Washington Post, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Colbert I. King, writes this week:
America changes hands on Monday. Uncertainty abounds. Many among us have pits in our stomachs over what lies ahead. One question looms large: In the days ahead, will the U.S. government, which so often has come down on the right side, still stand up for justice?
Want a musical setting for our reflections?
This anxiety also has produced many creative and inspiring responses. NPR broadcast an inspiring commentary by musician Lara Downes, who said:
As a musician considering the long arc of history, I realize that now it’s my turn to show up, to be ready and willing to pursue the dream that Dr. King fought for, along with so many of that generation, including my own parents. I don’t know exactly what that will mean—maybe facing my own fears, maybe more.
If you do click the link to this NRP commentary, don’t miss the end of the commentary, because Downes has compiled 26 songs, via NPR, of “Music for Martin’s Dream.” That’s a terrific soundtrack to honor and reflect on Dr. King’s legacy.
MLK Day: A History
Martin Luther King, Jr. became a Baptist pastor and helped to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, serving as its first president. In 1963, King helped to organize the March on Washington and, there, delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech.
King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.
When a bill was introduced for a federal holiday in honor of Dr. King, some representatives argued that an additional paid holiday would be too expensive and that Dr. King, having never held public office, was ineligible. Supporters of the bill began rallying the public, and when Stevie Wonder released “Happy Birthday” in 1980 to raise awareness of the campaign, 6 million signatures were collected. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that established a federal holiday on November 2, 1983. The holiday was first observed in 1986, and today, Americans are urged to honor the “King Day of Service” by spending the day doing something Dr. King viewed as unparalleled: serving others.
Care to Learn More?
The official nationally sponsored gateway for Dr. King is hosted by The National Park Service.
There’s also a wonderful, visual celebration of Dr. King hosed by The Smithsonian.
And, this week, learn more about national efforts to honestly report on the tragic legacy of racism in America. Also in January 2025, we published a story headlined: After more than a century, the U.S. officially corrects the record of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Click on the cover to visit the book’s Amazon page. (This is just one of many books we publish about peacemaking and overcoming our legacy of racism.)
Since our founding in 2007, our online magazine and our parent, Front Edge Publishing, has reported fair, accurate and balanced news about religious, cultural and racial diversity. We have published a series of books by international peacemaker Daniel L. Buttry that include inspiring stories of men and women (and even some children) who risked standing up for justice on behalf of their neighbors, despite bigotry.
We publish Friendship & Faith, a collection of true stories from women who courageously crossed boundaries of religion, culture and race to discover new friends on the other side of their often difficult journeys.
The Black Knight is the memoir of the oldest living African American graduate of West Point.
The work of Dr. Anni Reinking explores complex issues of multi-racial families as described in her wise and inspiring, Not Just Black and White. That link takes you to our 2019 coverage of the launch of Anni’s book. Then, in 2020, Anni followed up in our magazine by writing a two-part series for us: First, she wrote, Dr. Anni Reinking reminds us it’s ‘Not Just Black and White’. Then, she added a sidebar headlined: Dr. Anni Reinking on ‘What can I do now?’ That story includes a list of practical ideas for readers.
Perhaps our most ambitious series of all is co-produced with the Michigan State University School of Journalism Bias Busters. That series includes a number of books about racial diversity, including one on African Americans and one on the Black Church.
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