Not just a day off!: MLK Day, you can do more!
By: La’Nazia Johnson
Jan. 11, 2024
On Jan. 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated in Chicago and the H-F community, where various events took place to honor King’s fight for peace, justice and equality.
One of these events took place in Flossmoor on Jan. 15, where a day of service was put in place. Volunteers from the community and our very own National Honor Society (NHS) members did many things including creating Valentine’s Day cards for residents of long-term care facilities, crocheting and knitting covers for water filters, donating blood, picking up litter and many more acts of service.
Events took place outside of Flossmoor, including the MLK musical celebration at Freedom Hall in Park Forest. The McNary Experience performed songs in order to inspire the Black community and pay tribute to King.
However, most students do not acknowledge the impact MLK has made on their lives and the future of the Black community as a whole. Thus, National Honor Society sponsor Tiffany Stewart-Williams urged students to care for MLK due to the fact that King’s advocacy is the reason why the black community gets to attend a prominent school such as H-F. MLK is also the reason why those attending H-F have the opportunity to live in a nice community as well.
“A lot of what Martin Luther King did afforded the opportunity for students to attend schools like H-F and be in a community like H-F,” said Stewart-Williams.
Stewart-Williams also encourages students to read about King and his works, including his speeches and documents. This would include King’s “I Have A Dream” speech and the “Letter to Birmingham Jail.”
“I think it’s important for students to read the documents of Dr. King, study speeches, documents and give back to the community,” Stewart-Williams said.
Another inspiring and moving event was the “We Are One” MLK Day of service hosted at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, located in Chicago. Many interactive events took place there including arts and crafts for children, a drum ensemble, storytelling, singing, museum touring and an open mic at the end.
Even the president and chief executive officer of the DuSable Museum, Perri Irmer, had some words regarding the importance of MLK Day to the youth of the world. “We, Black people, built this country. You can’t tell the story of America without telling the black American story,”
In the end, MLK Day is much more than a day off. It is a day of giving back and spreading hope to everyone. It is a day to honor his legacy and appreciate all the work he did that made the current lives of the black community possible.
