Although Martin Luther King Jr. day is a national holiday, some companies don’t observe this day in its list of company holidays. Whatever their reason for this, some employees choose to use their personal time to observe the holiday.

Me, I’ll be at work. I’d love to have the day off, but since I don’t, I’ll be in the office bright and early at 9am. And no, I will not use my personal time to observe MLK Day. Why should I? It’s a national holiday that my company should have granted as a day off. I refuse to use my personal time on a day that should be granted as a national holiday.

Martin Luther King Jr. died so that I would have the opportunity to go to work everyday without harassment or segregation. So that I can work in an office  side by side with White, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and Asian colleagues. I’d love nothing more to have a day off, especially a Monday, but the fact that I have the opportunity to work in my field without facing (too much) direct racism means that his dream is realized to a certain degree.

How can I realize King’s legacy while I’m at work? MLK day isn’t just about having a day off work.  It’s about making the effort to respect and be of service to others. If I do this, I’m acting in furtherance of his dream.

So let me have it. Do you have Martin Luther King Jr. day off? Gotta work? How do you feel about it? What are you doing to commemorate King day?

Image: The Fader

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.