Youth Column: MLK day presents opportunity for growth
{Photo Credit: Upslash}
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., there will be the annual parade on Monday, January 15, beginning at 1 p.m. on Main Street in Lexington. There will also be a youth art exhibit and gallery held at the Arts Davidson County on 202 North Main Street at 5 p.m. The exhibit will showcase the artwork done by students from grades K-12, with an award presented to the winners. So come on down to the parade and exhibit! Let’s all remember and celebrate the impact of Martin Luther King Jr. this Monday.
Humans are constantly progressing and evolving, as individuals and as a whole. We grow and learn new things about one another and ourselves. Throughout history, there have been many influential and impactful figures that have helped to shape and better the society of today. As time passes and recent events become history, we must commemorate and pay respects to those who have been essential to constructing a better future in the past.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister and activist, as well as one of, if not the most prominent figure of the civil rights movement in the US from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. Before his assassination in 1968, he worked as the leader of the civil rights movement, a nonviolent campaign and social protest advocating for the abolishment of racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement towards African-American citizens. Throughout his career, he would organize peaceful marches, protests, and speeches.
Most famous is his “I Have a Dream” speech. The speech was delivered at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963, a monumental event and campaign that has gone down in the history books as truly poignant and significant. In the speech, King spoke of his dream of a future in which people would join hands and be at peace, regardless of race or religion. He dreamed of a future in which his black children could join hands with white children and simply be children, without the social pretense of what was “right” and “wrong.”
King’s speech was immensely powerful and the audience’s reaction was electric, with hundreds of thousands of supporters touched and empowered by King’s words. The event was considered a turning point in the movement.
As we grow and learn as a society, it is important to remember our past mistakes and work toward rectifying the negative and ingrained impact they have had. As a result, we learn about and are educated to prevent the repetition of those same mistakes. Every year, on the third Monday in January, we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nationwide. We celebrate him, his accomplishments, and his impact.
