UMass Global celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

IRVINE, Calif. (Jan. 12, 2023) – Some say good things come to those who wait. We say better things come to those who advocate. On behalf of University of Massachusetts Global, we thank those whose tenacious advocacy permits us time this Mon., Jan. 16, to reflect on our nation’s civil rights history and to take action to improve our communities– be they virtual or on-ground. 

If you don’t know, legislation honoring the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was introduced in Congress shortly after his assassination on Apr. 4, 1968. Not waiting on Congress to act, on Jan. 15, 1969, the King Center first observed his Jan. 15, 1929, birthday in honor of his legacy. It wasn’t until Nov. 2, 1983, that President Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill (designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday) into law. Then, more than 15 years had passed before the national holiday was recognized by all 50 U.S. states. While the states hotly debated the adoption of the federal holiday, President Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act on Aug. 23, 1994, designating MLK Day as a National Day of Service.

As significant as these milestones are, they were hard-fought victories that took decades to achieve. What we can appreciate about the evolving nature of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is that its continued growth fosters relevancy in modern times, inspiring all generations to take action to promote social justice, anti-racism, and much more.

In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, the University of Massachusetts Global will proudly close on Mon. Jan. 16. In doing so, university leadership encourages students, faculty, and staff to pursue individual learning or acts of service.

We also want to acknowledge an important development in Boston. “The Embrace,” a new memorial honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, is scheduled to be revealed to the public on Friday. The couple met in Boston, also the city where Martin Luther King, Jr. earned his doctorate and where he organized a Freedom March to Boston Common in 1965.

University of Massachusetts Trustee Imari Paris Jeffries is the executive director of Embrace Boston, a group that according to the UMass system, established the 1965 Freedom Plaza at Boston Common. The plaza will be The Embrace’s home and is a tribute to the Kings and civil rights leaders who were active in the Boston area during the mid-20^th century.

To stimulate actionable ideas, the university’s Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) compiled the following related resources:

• The King Center has information on virtual events scheduled to commemorate MLK Day.

• The California African American Museum in Los Angeles has scheduled events from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Jan. 16, including a listening session and discussion of King’s “Time to Break the Silence” address, which he delivered in 1967 in New York City. The museum also plans a Family Story Time event and a concert with the Inner-City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles.

• The City of Tacoma will webcast their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration at 11 a.m. PST on January 16th.

• History.com recounts the establishment of the national holiday in “MLK federal holiday declared.”

• The 2023 World House Documentary Film Festival at Stanford University is a four-day event from Jan. 13 through Jan. 16 with a bill of 40-plus documentary films timed to coincide with the weekend leading to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The theme for this year’s event, which is set to begin on Friday, is “The Crisis of Democracy in the World House.”

• Share your story about how you honored MLK Day or how you are Advocating for Equity in general by clicking on OEI's submissions page.