MLK Jr. Day

Local events celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began last week, continue this week and conclude next week. Organizers have assured that everyone who wants to honor King will have the opportunity.

On today's observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the 22nd annual memorial breakfast will be held at the Osage Community Centre followed by a Walk Down Memory Lane observance, the humanitarian luncheon and the youth gala. A celebration dinner will be held at the Show Me Center Wednesday and the Legacy open-mic poetry celebration will be at Barnes & Noble Sunday. The schedule concludes Jan. 24 with a ceremony called "Passing the Torch of Unity" at Southeast Missouri State University.

King may be primarily familiar to younger generations through his stirring "I have a dream" speech delivered at the conclusion of the March on Washington. The civil rights leader was indeed a magnificent speaker, but much, much more.

He lived by standards the world's greatest leaders have embraced. "At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love," he said.

King recognized the nobility in us all.

"If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry," he said. "He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well."

He led his people out of oppression by appealing to the best in each of us. "Life's most urgent question is: what are we doing for others?" he said.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday celebration offers everyone an opportunity to get to know him and understand his legacy even better.