Martin Luther King Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize for “for his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American population” in 1964. Martin Luther King Day (MLK Day) is a US federal holiday observed annually on the third Monday of January. It celebrates his life and achievements.
AmeriCorps notes that “MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. AmeriCorps has been charged with leading this effort for the past quarter century.”
An excerpt from their website: Why serve on MLK Day? Dr. King recognized the power of service. He famously said, “Everyone can be great because everybody can serve.” Observing the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday through service is a way to begin each year with a commitment to making your community a better place. Your service honors Dr. King’s life and teachings and helps meet community challenges. Service also brings people together of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. The MLK Day of Service encourages all types of service, particularly projects that have a lasting impact and connect participants to ongoing service. The most successful projects connect to the life and teaching of Dr. King, meet a pressing community need, and include time to reflect on his teachings.
What good can you do? Volunteer: AmeriCorps has a Volunteer Search available
