The federal holiday that is Martin Luther King Day has been taken up by many in the private sector, providing a paid day off work.  The Martin Luther King Center has always encouraged those with a day away from work to use this day as a “day on” for helping your local community in any way you see fit.

King is praised almost universally today, but I am old enough to remember the time when he was doing his work and Dr. King was vilified horribly by many, up until the time of his assassination in Memphis. It is sad that so many in American history that worked for peaceful change ended up in a violent death.

I still remember watching the March on Washington on television in 1963 with my father.  My dad thought the world of Dr. King.  He told me then that if he had not been the father of small children, he would have traveled to DC to take part in that historic event.

The best way, in my view, to remember Dr. King is to work peacefully for change…the kind of change that lifts up people on the lower rung of society.  I am not saying this is easy.  As Dr. King taught us during his lifetime, it is hard.

I commend that City of Fishers for sponsoring a food drive as part of Martin Luther King Day.  To learn more about MLK Day activities in Fishers, use this link.