MLK Day 2012

The following is a re-post from an article I wrote a year ago. Nothing has changed, and the following info is just as relevant today as it was a year ago...

It's Martin Luther King Jr. day here in the United States. Many people have the day off from work and may not think too much about the man, what he stood for and what he helped accomplish in the United States in terms of civil rights...not just for people of color, but all Americans.

While it would be far beyond my power and to divert people away from enjoying a day off from work, nor would I want to, I do think MLK Jr. deserves some reflection and I think it's very possible to do so in a meaningful and relatively quick way.

For example, here are three easy things to do:

READ UP - you don't need to read a book to get the basics about MLK Jr. (although that would be best), but for a quick review, check out the Wikipedia page on the man HERE.

MUSIC - listen to the song "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2. It's about MLK Jr., what he stood for and the price he paid for those convictions. If you don't already have this song, it costs 99 cents on iTunes.

PICTURES - there are loads on the Internet about the man, the events he led and where he went. ClickHERE for the Google image search results for King. Below is a photo I took on our trip to Memphis a few years ago...sadly, it's where he was shot and killed.

So, that's what...a few minutes to listen to and ponder a song, 5-10 min. reading and say 5 min. checking out some pictures. Do it. You'll come away knowing more all in 15-20 minutes...and that's a better use of your time than reading about who gave the most outrageous speech at the Golden Globe awards last night.






NOTE: Picture in this post taken by Marc Osborn. Use of the image not permitted for any use without prior written permission.