Today, our nation commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His sacrifice and dedication to the fight against injustice is an example we can all strive to live up to. While today is a day for celebration of the successes Dr. King was able to achieve for civil rights in this country, the journey is far from over. Intolerance, injustice, and inequality still exist in communities all across America. It is up to us to make our voices heard and continue the journey ourselves.

It’s important to remember that in addition to being a day of reflection and appreciation today is also a national day of service. “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle,” said Dr. King. We can rededicate ourselves to serving our communities and begin taking steps to facilitate that change.  

We can accomplish this in a variety of ways, whether it is mentoring a child, donating your time to a food bank, or even something as simple as planting a tree. The smallest personal sacrifices can have a tremendous impact. By both remembering and serving today, together we can walk farther along the path of justice and closer to realizing Dr. King’s dream.

In the words of Dr. King, “if I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”