My Favorite Holiday

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday is my favorite federal holiday. Why? Because it's the only one where people who celebrate it can agree why they are celebrating it. It has not lost its focus or significance. MLK's Birthday is not about only MLK. It's about everyone who fought and continue to fight the civil war of ideas in this country that say because you are different, you are less. It's not just about racism, but about all discrimination. We are all guilty of prejudice, and that's human. However, we are all able to fight prejudice, and that's human too. If we choose to ignore this, surely we will perish.

There are many who wish to go through life free of labels - Black or White, Homo or Hetero, Christian or Jew, Man or Woman, American or European, Right-Handed or Left, Disabled or Not, etc. They feel labels confine them to pre-disposed traits that are something separate from their own individual character and personality. However, me saying that I'm a Black Christian American Man, while telling you something about me, hardly scratches the surface of who I am. Labels are not for putting us in boxes, but for helping us to recognize differences so we don't use them in our prejudice. It's O.K. to be proud to be Black, proud to be Christian, proud to be American, and proud to be a man - as long as that pride does not cloud us from a deeper bond than all of these - human. And, if you are spiritual, you believe that there is even a deeper bond than this. Saying you're proud to be an American and to hell with anybody else's country is not a good thing. America is a box in a big closet.

Martin Luther King Jr. knew this and spent a large part of his life dedicated to having this message felt throughout America and the world. So, thank you to all who have and continue to struggle against injustice. This is a wonderful, beautiful world and we have a LOT of work to do.

"A right delayed is a right denied."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.