NCR Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter #22 - January 2022

January 1, 2022
Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King advocated for nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice as a means of lifting racial oppression. He created change with organized sit-ins, marches, and peaceful demonstrations that highlighted issues of inequality. Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; he was the youngest person to ever receive this high honor. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by entering the ministry to become a Baptist minister. On April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee as he stood on the balcony of his hotel. Dr. King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to lead a march in support of striking sanitation workers.

January 17, 2022, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will mark the 27th anniversary of the National Day of Service.  This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

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Give a Day of Volunteering In Your Community

Remember Service Men & Women
Send care packages to deployed troops, veterans, and wounded soldiers. Write a letter of gratitude for their service, and include snack and personal care items. Check out Operation Gratitude and Give 2 The Troops organizations to learn where to send your care packages. 

Pitch In for the Elderly
Organize your group to rake leaves, shovel snow, carry groceries or do housework for elderly neighbors. If you don’t have an elderly neighbor, consider a senior citizens neighborhood community. 

Adopt a Park
Decide on a park to adopt. Grab some trash bags and pick up trash to beautify the park. Getting outside to care for the environment is a great way spend a few hours.

Donate Old Linens to an Animal Shelter  
Donate old bath towels, blankets, and sheets to local animal shelter. 

Help a Child to Read
Become a literacy volunteer to tutor children at you local library or at an afterschool program. 

Donate Food to a Food Bank
Collect non-perishable food items and donate them to a local food bank.

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How You Can Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have a dialogue with your family and friends.  Ask them what they think about King’s legacy.  Ask them about their favorite leaders who made an impact on their lives.

Accepting others for who they are no matter their race, religion, creed or sexual orientation.   Advocating for the acceptance and equality.

Continue his work to improve the well-being of all people – not only in our own country but in every country around the world.  Setting an example of acceptance and equality on your own sends a message to all of those around you.

Create a wave of positivity that could spread around the world.  Dr. King once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  This quote can make the difference in your life depending on how you choose to process it.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Facts

• King entered college at age 15.
• King was a Grammy award winner for Best Spoken Word recording.
• The civil rights leader was arrested 29 times and assaulted four times.
• Martin Luther King is the only non-president to have a national holiday in his name, and is the only non-president with a memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC.