Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

This weekend the United States government recognizes and remembers the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a holiday in his honor. I don't have to go to school--meaning Springfield Public Schools honors the day. My wife has to work--meaning Willard Schools doesn't honor the day. That kind of blows me away, but then I looked online about the holiday, and I was blown away even more.

According to Wikipedia:
The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

I am dumb-founded by the fact that the holiday was officially observed in all fifty states for the first time in 2000. 

Sidenote: I know there are some out there who significantly doubt the veracity of Wikipedia, but I am not one of them. Regardless of my own naivete, or judgment, depending upon your perspective, I kept looking. 

According to Infoplease:

1983: Congress passes, President Reagan signs, legislation creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1986: Federal MLK holiday goes into effect
1993: For the first time, MLK Day is held in some form—sometimes under a different name, and not always as a paid state holiday—in all fifty states.
2000: Utah becomes the last state to recognize MLK Day by name, renaming its Human Rights Day state holiday. South Carolina becomes the last state to make MLK Day a paid holiday for all state employees. Until now, employees could choose between celebrating it or one of three Confederate-related holidays.

I discovered more surprises. It took fifteen years for Congress to pass the legislation, and three years to go into effect. I guess I am both naive and stupid, and for more reasons than just using Wikipedia. I didn't think it took fifteen years to get legislation passed in Congress or three years for something to begin to be implemented. It actually took seventeen years before the legislation was fully implemented in all fifty states. 

Since I've been reading about some U.S. Presidents lately, I have started thinking of history in terms of presidents. John F. Kennedy was president when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Kennedy himself was assassinated, and Lyndon Johnson became president. Then came Richard Nixon. Then came Gerald Ford. Then came Jimmy Carter. Then came Ronald Reagan, who signed the legislation that Congress had passed. Then came George H.W. Bush. Then came Bill Clinton, who was president when all fifty states officially observed the holiday. That's a long freaking time. And get this, after Bill Clinton came George W. Bush. And after him came Barack Obama, the first African-American president. Now, by this point I should be writing in all caps and using lots and lots of exclamation marks. And if you heard me talking this through, you would hear it in my voice. Is that not amazing?!?! How is this possible?!?!

So, Infoplease seems to be owned by Pearson Education, Inc., at least according to the bottom of the webpage and their Company Overview page. If I was really smart, or a really good writer, I would take the time to juxtapose Wikipedia (big, free, collaborative, organic) with Pearson (big, expensive, obstructive, diplomatic), but I am neither of those things. 

I am a white man. Simply based on my physical description I am in a position of power, according to most recent history in the United States. The world and the U.S. have changed quite a bit since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and even since 1983, when a holiday in his honor was created. We have an African-American U.S. President. We almost had a female U.S. President. Those are great advances, and testimony to the good work of Martin Luther King, Jr.

I admire the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. because of what it advanced: equal-rights. I hate unequal playing fields. If the life is one big game, then the game is rigged. So many people are playing at a huge disadvantage, while others have huge and unfair advantages. But life isn't fair either. I learned that, too. So what are we to do?

I guess, this weekend, I'll join in with many others in remembering someone who worked to make life somehow more fair, more hospitable, more welcoming. And I'll remember that the work is not done.