On Monday, January 20th, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His non-violent protests for equal rights for Black Americans in this country sparked a movement that brought sweeping changes to our land. His love of God and country helped him push forward through insurmountable odds to achieve the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in various aspects of public life, including employment, public accommodations, education, and federally funded programs, effectively outlawing segregation in many areas of American society. His iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, spoken on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, still rings in the hearts of many. His dream of a diverse nation, where all men who are created equal would likewise live as equals, has continued to face uphill battles. And on this day, where we celebrate a man of love, vision, and courage, we will inaugurate, for the second time, one of the most divisive presidents this country has ever had. A man whose moral compass points in whatever direction suits him. The country spoke, and Donald J. Trump was elected as our 47th President.
The presidential inauguration is always held on January 20th unless it falls on a Sunday, in which case it is held on Monday, January 21st. The last time Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincided was in 2013 when President Barack Obama was sworn in for a second term. A private swearing-in ceremony was held on January 20th, and then the public ceremony was the next day – MLK Jr. Day. “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth,” Obama said.
January 20, 2025 marks the beginning of an administration that has promised to remove many of the protections Dr. King fought for, which, over the years, have served not just Black Americans, but all Americans. The aftermath of President Trump’s first term in office produced the appointments of Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, creating a conservative majority in the highest court of the land. The votes of that majority have overturned Roe v. Wade, removing a woman’s right to choose legal and safe abortions, and Affirmative Action, which assisted those less advantaged to have the opportunity to attend prestigious colleges and universities. And in Trump vs. United States (July 1, 2024), the court ruled that “the President is absolutely immune from criminal prosecution for conduct within his exclusive sphere of constitutional authority. Pp. 6–9. (2)”
This is a time where we must be diligent to stand up for our rights. We cannot allow the resistance of 2017 to become the resignation of 2025. We cannot become complacent for our sakes and especially for the future of this country. Our children will need us, as a village, to teach them about their heritage as Project 2025 seeks to remove from all schools in this country teachings about slavery and racism. Slavery was not, as Governor Ron DeSantis said, a “job training program,” so we need to return to times of old where our ancestors sat us on their knees and taught the history and customs of our people. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. In this, the German people got it right. There are signs and memorials and museums about the Holocaust so that they never forget; so that they will never repeat that dark time in their history again.
As we approach January 20th, many will boycott the inauguration proceedings, while others will view it as a time to effect change and come together in unity. My focus will be on the man who fought for the liberties and freedoms that I enjoy today, not on the one trying to take them away. This day was set aside as a federal holiday to commemorate a man who gave his life for what he believed, and as a day for community service because that is one way we can unify as a people. I will honor his memory and not an event, regardless of its significance, that just happens to fall on that day.
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