Every year when the holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes, I have mixed emotions. I love that we, as a country, can recognize the great work of this man and those who supported him. And I am saddened as I recall the hard work it took to get the holiday approved and how some of the same injustice and inequity still exists today.  

Two months after I was born, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. The first push for a holiday honoring Dr. King started just four days after his assassination. It wasn’t until 15 years later, in 1983, that the holiday became a law.  I was 12 years old in 1980 when Stevie Wonder released his song because we still had not created the holiday. He sang,

“I just never understood 

How a man who died for good 

Could not have a day that would 

Be set aside for his recognition 

Because it should never be 

Just because some cannot see 

The dream as clear as he 

That they should make it become an illusion 

And we all know everything 

That he stood for time will bring 

For in peace, our hearts will sing 

Thanks to Martin Luther King 

… 

Why has there never been a holiday 

Where peace is celebrated 

All throughout the world 

The time is overdue 

For people like me and you 

Who know the way to truth 

Is love and unity to all God’s children 

It should be a great event 

And the whole day should be spent 

In full remembrance 

Of those who lived and died for the oneness of all people” 

 

And while we often hear clips of the, I have a Dream speech at this time of year, I want to share with you his final speech called “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop.” Dr. King was a champion of the disenfranchised, the poor, and those who suffered from inequity and injustice. As we enjoy the day off, I invite you to reflect on how his mission was not so different from our own.  

We nurture and support children and families, he knocked down barriers for workers, children, families and poor people impacted by economic and social inequity. His final speech, in particular, demonstrates his commitment to economic equity and justice in addition to social justice. It would be great if we were on the other side of the mountaintop that he described. But inequity remains, and so does his mission, and so does ours. Whether you stay at home or venture out to one of the many events in the area (Martin Luther King Day Events 2023), may your thoughts on this day be mission-oriented.

Eric D. Mitchell, MPA, MS 

President and Chief Executive Officer 

Pathways for Children