Spiritual Life Why do we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday?

Every time the third Monday of January comes around, I am reminded of my visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia. It was there where I learned so much about Martin Luther King, Jr. and why President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring the third Monday in January of each year a public holiday in honor of his birthday.

As a new immigrant from the Philippines in 1993, I had very faint idea on the life and influence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An invitation from Edith Ming, former President of the World Federation of Methodist Women gave me the opportunity to know more about Dr. King and why we celebrate Martin Luther King’s Day. The original proclamation states that, “The observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a national holiday is a time for rejoicing and reflecting. We rejoice because in his short life, Dr. King by his preaching, his example, and his leadership helped to move us closer to the ideals on which America was founded. We reflect on his words and his works. Dr. King’s was truly a prophetic voice that reached out over the chasms of hostility, prejudice, ignorance and fear to touch the conscience of America. He challenged us to make real the promise of America as a land of freedom, equality, opportunity, and brotherhood.”

I have a book entitled “The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.” Some of my favorite quotations are as follows:

Aurora S. Cudal-Rivera My Personal