Monday, Jan. 21 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
For some, the national holiday honoring the prominent civil rights activist is a time to give back and serve the community, be it through removing graffiti or picking up litter in a local park.
For others, it’s an opportunity to educate themselves about King and his life's work. And for others, it’s a time to just kick back and enjoy the prolonged weekend.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee of Bartow County has organized two days of events to honor King here in Cartersville, including keynote speaker Mike Davis, The Daily Tribune News reports.
"I’m going to talk about the vision, having a vision, about what the future holds for you as a person," Davis told the newspaper. "Hopefully, I’m praying, that [people in attendance] will catch the vision of having a great year, a positive year and a positive life."
So, tell us—What does Martin Luther King Jr. Day mean to you? What are you doing to commemorate King’s legacy?
This year's "Remember! Celebrate! Act!—a day on, not a day off" events set for Cartersville are:
What: Candlelight Church Service
Where: Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church
When: Sunday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m.
What: Youth Rally
Where: St. Luke A.M.E. Church
When: Monday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m.
What: Brotherhood March
Where: Begins at the Civic Center, continues along Main and Erwin streets and ends at the courthouse on Cherokee Avenue.
When: Monday, Jan. 21, at 2 p.m. (Participants gather at 1:15 p.m.)
What: Wreath-Laying Ceremony
Where: Frank Moore Administration and Judicial Center (courthouse)
When: Monday, Jan. 21, immediately following the Brotherhood March.
What: Brotherhood Program
Where: Civic Center
When: Monday, Jan. 21, following the Wreath-Laying Ceremony.
The Holiday's History
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now a U.S. holiday, took 15 years to create.
Legislation was first proposed by Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) four days after King was assassinated in 1968.
The bill was stalled, but Conyers, along with Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-New York), pushed for the holiday every legislative session until it was finally passed in 1983, following civil rights marches in Washington.
Then-president Ronald Reagan signed it into law. Yet it was not until 2000 that every U.S. state celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by its name. Before then, states like Utah referred to the holiday more broadly as Human Rights Day.
Now, the Corporation for National and Community Service has declared it an official U.S. Day of Service.
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Next time when FBI makes up stuff on the fly for someone that you know of, or yourself, i will love to see your reaction. Anyhow, its a time wasting thing to debate someone who buy bill o really's books instead of doing a real reading.. Topic asked about what does it mean for us for MLK day and how will we celebrate it.. MLK being a christian preached something that was Islamic. interesting, huh? Bill o really wouldnt know that, would he? Islam about 14 centuries ago, collected many races and there was a speech about Colors of the skin mean Nothing, what really means something is YOUR deeds. yes, this is why there is NO black or white mosque. Anyhow, we shall love to celebrate his day in peace by teaching our children what a great contriobutions he did in his times that crazy conservatives in this day and age can't even grasp. like this big scholar name bill o really! enough said!
how about giving this australian artcle a read, may be a good idea to go beyond Knoxville, eh? http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/talmud2.htm Besides whatever you have against the black race, i have many black friends and family members. you peoplehave failed again and again to make this great country a whiteland. And failure you will always endure. oh also, some of your whites thrown stones at our mosque in cartersville, and then some of your fellas showed up to dump christianity. huh! go figure! i ordered about 200 quran copies to distribute since then and im already having to order more. So yes, keep on your hate chruning speeches at the top of your lungs, die you will in hate. hmmm wait, may be you should read your bible. Talmud is so screwed up, evenjews dont want to read it. Torrah is calling ozi the son of God. i shall not comment on your posts anymore as i smell ignorance or rather bill o really! education in your skull.
cartersville has a library, please go there sometimes. googling isnt always the best idea because you appear to know enough to be dangerous.
I'm certainly not saying I believe in any of the comments above, but what you said above, "i hope you are not from india where you deem every other thing that looks different turns into God" is the kind of thing you're preaching against. Not only is wrong to conclude that all Indian people believe in a secular religion, you go on to deem it as inferior to yours. If you were referring to Hinduism in the post, please educate yourself on the subject before simplifying in such a way as that. Thanks!