Howard Observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day
by Asia-Marie Green
Martin Luther King Jr., whom we all know as a leading civil rights leader, was born on January 15, 1929. As a way to commemorate his efforts to end racial discrimination, every third Monday in January is known as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. With this, he is the only non-president to have their own national holiday.
Howard High School and most public school districts took a day off to mark the birthday and actions of this civil rights leader. The holiday is a signal that it is important that students and staff know the meaning of the national holiday.
Howard High School student Alex Banks discusses the meaning of MLK Day. Video production by The Husky Howler staffer Bryant Barfield.
Howard High School students Alex Banks and Brittany Harris talk about what MLK Day means to them. Video produced by The Husky Howler staffer Bryant Barfield.
Howard student Alex Banks talks about the meaning of MLK day. Video by Bryant Barfield of The Husky Howler staff.
Howard High School’s Tracy Jackson, a social studies and transitions teacher, believes that everyone should know the meaning behind Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“I believe it is important to teach and know about King’s holiday and the man behind it, so that the rights and freedoms enjoyed by people living in this country and this world will be treasured, protected, and not taken for granted,” Jackson said.
Howard students had plenty to say about the holiday and what impact King left on them, including Brittany Harris, an 11th grade student.
“As an African American woman, I personally feel like Martin Luther King Jr. made a difference for me because of the change he made in segregation.” Harris said.
“I am able to speak and share my opinion today, at a multi-raced school like Howard, because of what he did for me.”
At Howard, the students, teachers, and administrators believe that it’s important for everyone to know about the history of the holiday and how his actions affected some of them as well.
Sylvia McClendon, a math teacher at Howard, believes that it is important for students to understand not only that we pause to remember Martin Luther King — but that we remember the “why” and the “how,” she said.
“We should never forget the story or the price that was paid to get to where we are in racial equality in America, and we must continue to search for ways to live out the meaning of King’s dream. I think that too many students today take things for granted — even the holiday itself,” McClendon said.
McClendon also reflected on the holiday at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the 1980s.
“I remember when I was a student in school, Martin Luther King Day was not a holiday. Parents would keep their children home on Jan 15. Parents would not go into work — hoping their efforts would produce a change. Eventually it did. Now Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a national holiday,” McClendon said.
She said that her parents did not let her stay home the first year that the school did this, and that the school was nearly empty. But she was able to stay home the second year to observe the important day and to encourage the state to recognize King’s birthday as a holiday, which finally worked.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a holiday that Howard is proud to recognize and to reflect on the work that still needs to be done for racial equality — holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
