Center stage - Front Row - Brief Article

Ebony, Jan, 2004 by Coretta Scott King

Founder, The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

THE King Holiday celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.'s global vision of the world house, a world whose people and nations had triumphed over poverty, racism, war and violence. The Holiday celebrates his vision of ecumenical solidarity, his insistence that all faiths had something meaningful to contribute to building the beloved community.

"Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not only for celebration and remembrance, education and tribute, but above all a day of service. All across America on this Holiday, my husband's followers perform service in hospitals and shelters and prisons and wherever people need some help. It is a day of volunteering to feed the hungry, rehabilitating housing, tutoring those who can't read, mentoring at-risk youngsters, consoling the brokenhearted and a thousand other projects for building the beloved community of his dream.

"We call you to commemorate this Holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity with the vibrant spirit of unconditional love that was his greatest strength, and which empowered all of the great victories of his leadership. And with our hearts open to this spirit of unconditional love, we can indeed achieve the beloved community of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream."