Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. The reason is self-evident: Service to others is the most important and profound way communities and individuals can honor his legacy.
The King Holiday and Service Act, co-authored by Sen. Harris Wofford (D-Penn.) and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and encourages all Americans to honor King through service and community engagement. This year, organizations are serving their communities through education, fellowship, and King’s most important value, love.
“Our goal is to not only serve the community but create solutions with them and inspire them to create a better village for our youth,” says Love First Executive Director Satara Strong-Allen. Love First focuses on building a school-to-success pipeline by providing educational programming, resources, and mentorship for youth ages 16-24 to dismantle barriers experienced by many Minnesota youth.
A few miles north in Waconia, an organization of educators and community members are volunteering their time to teach their communities’ youngest learners about the legacy of Dr. King. ROAR (Residents Organized Against Racism) Waconia is hosting its annual MLK event featuring a story walk and multiple educational stations that give learners an innovative look into the activist and humanitarian’s life — including lessons he learned along the way.
“The interactive stations designed to show Martin Luther King in his many facets were set for people to expand their understanding of his actions throughout his life, how he chooses words for different audiences and honor who he was as a person,” says event organizer and Minnetonka Special Ed teacher Tricia Heldt.
“The story of who people think MLK was is often different depending on who is teaching about him,” says Heldt. “Choosing to discuss aspects of his history allows him to be honored for who was. The story walks provide opportunities for families to engage with the information on their own while having conversations as a family and allowing the adults to explain information.”
Love First Community Engagement’s January community dinner and MLK event will take place 3-6 p.m. on Jan. 26 at Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center in St. Paul. For more information, go to lovefirsttc.org.
ROAR Waconia’s MLK Family Event will take place 2-3:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 at the Safari Island Community Center in Waconia. For more information visit the ROAR Waconia Facebook page www.facebook.com/ROARWaconia.
For more events celebrating Dr. King and his legacy, check this link.