Join the United Way of the Coastal Empire as we celebrate Martin Luther King Day of Service with our community!
Service to others can mean something unique to everyone. While service can be done any day throughout the year, Martin Luther King Day of Service is an important time to reflect on the meaning of community and who has been historically and presently excluded from various freedoms supposed to be given to all Americans.
When honoring Dr. King's legacy, it is important to accurately reflect his dreams for Americans, especially underprivileged and underserved Americans. Though his work was lauded by some, there were many in opposition throughout his lifetime and parts of his legacy continue to be misunderstood today. Calls for a national holiday celebrating Dr. King began soon after his assassination. In 1968, legislation was introduced to make a federal holiday in his honor but was blocked by strong political opposition. It took fifteen years for the federal holiday legislation to pass, and eighteen years for the first national observance to take place. Today, many Americans remember Dr. King positively as a hero, martyr, and model. However, it was not so long ago that he was treated as a dangerous anti-American criminal because he called for human rights for all Americans.
What does it mean to observe Martin Luther King Day of Service respectfully? What does it mean to honor the memory of a Black American who became the face of the Civil Rights Movement - a movement that still, in 2022, is not over?
Dr. King said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" Dr. King urges everyone to look inside themselves, see their own value and worth, and contribute. No matter who you are, there is something you can do to help others. It is not enough to rely on others to do the work that is needed in the community. It is not enough to say "I agree" after someone else has spoken the truth. It is not enough to applaud someone else taking a risk to do what is right. Being a good neighbor is more than platitudes and lauding someone else's bravery. It is about sharing the burden of doing what is right, even if it is difficult. It is about understanding that neighbors have different experiences being American, and some of those experiences come with unfair restraints, obstacles, and dangers.
One aspect of service is going around systemic barriers to meet a need in the community that would otherwise go unmet. Another aspect of service is addressing where society has failed certain individuals and communities. Volunteering is not about making the volunteer feel good. That may be a side effect of doing service, but it is important to recognize the humanity of those who are served. It is not enough to invoke the name of Dr. King without understanding who he represented, and who he was fighting for.
Last year, United Way of the Coastal Empire hosted the annual Day of Service in recognition of Dr. King with Greenbriar Children's Center. Greenbriar Children's Center was established in 1949 as an orphanage for African American children in Savannah and surrounding areas, when previously, homeless Black American children were placed in local work farms and penal institutions.
This year, United Way of the Coastal Empire would like to invite the community to celebrate Martin Luther King Day of Service by joining us in our volunteer projects across our region. As long as some Americans do not have equal access to opportunities to live a fulfilling and meaningful life, there is more work to be done. United Way of the Coastal Empire is honored to partner with agencies and institutions across our region to bring community members together to support one another. We look forward to seeing you at our service projects, and we appreciate your commitment and dedication to bettering and supporting our communities!
