Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2018

One of the current news items that MLK, Jr. would have surely welcomed is that unemployment among African-Americans is at an all-time low. What great news for an entire demographic. It's a measurable improvement that is certainly something to celebrate!

I read a great deal about Dr. King when I was a teenager. I had become very interested in his views on civil disobedience and how he applied that in his own mission to combat racial prejudice and injustice in the South at that time. That interest expanded as I began to read others who were linked in perspective: Mahatma Ghandi, Henry David Thoreau, and so on.

The effects of Dr. King's thoughts and teachings continue today to America’s betterment. His place in history is commemorated on the fringe of Washington’s Tidal Basin for visitors from around the world to see. His striking monument encourages them to pause and reflect. It never fails to remind me that America possesses many strengths. One of her most valuable is the ability to recognize her own failings, and then course-correct to overcome them. In many ways, Dr. King's monument is a contemporary symbol of hope. We've made huge strides regarding race relations. And we will surely continue to do so.