Yesterday I took time to reflect on MLK's legacy. I pulled out my old book of MLK's speeches (from an MLK class I took in college - still one of the best educational experiences of my life) and listened to an NPR show on the March on Washington. As I did this, I thought "how many others took the time to do the same? I am privileged to have been instructed on King's legacy, but what about others who only have a superficial understanding of King's very, very complex philosophy? Why do we 'honor' such an important figure by the empty offering of a vacation day?" Certainly King wouldn't have wanted to be celebrated this way.
One school (ONE school) in Chicago doesn't take the day off. Instead, they teach their kids on King's legacy. It's very easy to whitewash King's philosophy into one of peace and racial tolerance (two values to which he was convicted, of course), but it's much more instructive to understand the complexities of King. For example, his views on the Vietnam War and class (versus racial) inequality tell us much more about our complex world than do simplified portrayals of King. We're doing King's legacy a disgrace by having a free day instead of truly using our time to think critically (and maybe even act?) on King's philosophy. Congress obviously found it important enough to honor him, so let's do it in a way that's forward looking and productive.
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