The Lost Importance Of Martin Luther King Jr.

While many college aged kids know who Martin Luther King Jr. is, many only see the holiday as a day of relaxation.

Thanks to King, students across the nation are allowed to stay home on the third Monday of every January. To many, this important day is no more than an additional 24 hours to finish homework, hang out with friends, and sleep in. While people claim to appreciate the day, they also fail to consider the work behind bringing this national holiday into existence.

King was born on Jan. 15, 1929. He grew up in Atlanta, GA with his parents and two siblings. He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a reverend. He, just like his father, worked to end racial segregation.
People today, students and workers alike, do not realize how hard King worked so that anyone can sit where they’d like, whether it be on a bus or in a restaurant. Many fail to remember the steps this man took to end racial division.

A Running Start student who wished to remain anonymous said, “It’s nice to have the day off, [so] I just slept all day.”

Most students have never had to face a rejection of their educational rights. This is all because of people like King. However, today’s students tend to take advantage of all the hard work that King did for the nation. He worked endlessly to terminate segregation. He wanted both his kids and every other child born with black, yellow or tan skin to be able to go to school wherever they wanted. King fought for the belief that students should be able to get an education without having to worry simply because of the color of their skin.

Jose Munoz, a second year student, said, “I don’t think I would be in school if there was still segregation…[but this holiday is just] a regular day. Some people may need time to themselves.”

Society today would definitely be different than it is if it weren’t for the work of King. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to go to college and, even if they did have the opportunity, it wouldn’t be equal to that of a segregated college for only white people.

As a whole, the American society has come a long way; people are legally allowed equal access to public areas regardless of their race. King had a huge influence in society, which is representative on why he was assassinated in 1968, as some disagreed with what he stood for.

Segregation in schools was made illegal in 1954 during Brown v. Board of Education, and segregation of bus systems was deemed unconstitutional in 1956. Of course, even today there are racist Americans, but there are many amazing communities, one of them being the accepting Green River campus. There are so many races and cultures that mesh well together, which attending students get to experience for themselves firsthand.

The fact that the general public doesn’t honor King, the man that fought so hard to create a unity between races, is upsetting. There are no national parades. There are no fireworks. There is no celebration of King’s successes, but rather a mindless state of relaxation and a mass rewatching of Netflix originals.

In reference to Munoz’s earlier statements, it is true that King’s holiday is a regular day, but it also has a deep meaning to many people. There are thousands across America that have been impacted, and continue to be influenced, by the hard work of King. Because of this mass impact, the holiday should have more recognition than it receives.

King opened up so many opportunities to all minorities; not just African Americans, but humans of all backgrounds. The importance of his actions are put to shame when America spends the day asleep.

To restore the meaning behind this holiday, a place to start is reminding the younger generation of its significance. In keeping the holiday’s meaning alive, the community as a whole will truly be united.