A Purpose for Martin Luther King Day

By: Ehimwenma E. Aimiuwu
January 14, 2011

It is with sadness that I write about the dishonor displayed by some schools and corporations towards Martin Luther King (MLK) Day. In Atlanta, Georgia, where MLK was born and buried, many companies do not recognize MLK Day as a federal and national holiday. Some even go as far as scheduling important employment meetings on that day to make sure most of their employees disregard a true American legend that died for all Americans to be free and equal.

Due to the snow issue in Atlanta, many schools were closed all week. This presented some schools the god-given opportunity to spit on the grave of MLK. Many are saying that children should attend school on MLK Day to make up for the week they have lost. If one federal holiday can be used to replace a week’s worth of school work, then let us use a Saturday instead. If one week of school must be made up, then we can make good use of Spring Break, which is actually one week.

MLK was actually killed in Memphis, Tennessee when he went to fight for the equal rights of Black sanitary workers for better pay and treatment, yet his day is used in Atlanta and other American cities to disrespect workers who should be home honoring the man that died for them. MLK Day should be a day for all workers, students, and children, who believe in American freedom and equality, to stay home and think about how to make the labor force a friendlier and fairer place to be. Also, it should mark the period were workers gather the courage to inform federal officers about the need to investigate regular social undermining, low retention, and high absenteeism rates among women and minority workers, especially in workplaces that disregard MLK day.