“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

Powerful words said by one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For years, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the civil rights movement and persevered through massive amounts of hatred and adversity. Now, we as a nation celebrate his legacy and how he changed the lives of millions of African Americans.

MLK Day was first celebrated on January 20th, 1986, after President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that all 50 states had made it a state government holiday. MLK Day is this Monday, January 15th, 2024.

The nation usually celebrates with marches, parades, and other special events showcasing civil rights leaders and politicians. Our small town of Winchester has its own way of commemorating this important holiday.

All business offices for the City of Winchester are closed in observance of the MLK holiday as well as Clark County Public Schools.

Our local Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. planning committee is hosting the annual march at the Courthouse on Monday, January 15, at 9:30 a.m. with a breakfast at 10 a.m. planned at St. Agatha Academy. GRC’s National Honors Society is going to be helping out with the breakfast on Monday.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is probably most remembered for his “I Have A Dream” speech that he gave on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963.

In this speech, he called for an end to racism in the United States of America. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.  I have a dream today!”

Later that year he was named TIME Magazine’s Man of the Year for his work with the Civil Rights Movement and igniting change in the lives of African-Americans in our country.

On April 4, 1968 at 6:05 pm, Dr. King was shot and killed by James Earl Ray while standing on his second floor balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.  He was 39 years old.  The Lorraine Motel is now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum that is open for the public to tour the room, balcony, etc where the assassination occurred.

Stand up for what is right, Dare to dream, Love others, Don’t judge others by their appearance, all things are possible, and forgive- all of these things are lessons learned from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all are why we celebrate his sacrifice and the legacy he left behind.

Hopefully, we use this holiday to remember why Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is so important in American history and continue to make his dream for us all a reality.