DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY EDITION
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"The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty..." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
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| | President Lyndon B. Johnson and The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Domain Photo By: Yoichi R. Okamoto |
REMEMBERING KING
Today around the globe, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is being remembered. Dr. King understood the complex connections between poverty, racism and social inequity on both a local and global scale. Dr. King's last speech, 4 days before his assassination in 1968, was a challenge to the nation, and a call to action against the violence of poverty, announcing his "Poor People's Campaign". Ultimately, King's campaign for the poor suggested that ALL people should have what they need to live regardless of their race or their social location.
Today, while our nation continues to straddle the "tightrope" of economic and racial injustice, "The Beloved Community" appears to be far from our grasp. However, Community Action must remain at the center of this tension with vulnerable families who struggle daily in the pursuit of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".
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 Listen to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Last Speech on Poverty
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| | Click Above to listen to "The Other America", King's speech on poverty delivered 4 days before his assassination. |
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MLK Day of Service Unites Americans in Volunteer Service
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MLK Day of Service Unites Americans in Volunteer Service
Hundreds of thousands will mark the day of service with projects in all 50 states
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Monday, January 18, thousands of organizations across the across the country will lead Americans in the nation's largest day of civic engagement, the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. With an emphasis on creating opportunity for all, citizens in all 50 states will deliver meals, refurbish schools and community centers, and collect food and clothing. Volunteers will also recruit mentors, build homes and provide other services for veterans and military families, and help citizens improve their financial literacy skills.
"Dr. King's life is a shining example that one person can make a difference and change the course of history," said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). "By volunteering in communities across the nation on the MLK Day of Service, we honor his legacy through the spirit of service. I am honored to serve alongside the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are dedicating a day to give back, and I am convinced that the day will inspire many to make volunteering part of their lives all year long."
In 1994, Congress designated MLK Day as the first and only federal holiday observed as a national day of service, and charged CNCS with leading this effort. Participants in the agency's AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs are leading and participating in projects across the country. Americans may visit MLKDay.gov to find a service project for MLK Day or a year-round volunteer opportunity in their own community.
CNCS provides grants to six national organizations that play a leadership role in the MLK Day of Service: Youth Service of America, Iowa Western Community College, Points of Light, the Arc of the United States, Tennessee State University, and Service for Peace. In addition to these grantees, more than 30 other organizations are strategic partners, including AARP, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, City Year, United Way of America, and YouthBuild USA.
Sample projects are highlighted below. More information, including details about local service opportunities, is available at mlkday.gov. |
Community Action MLK Day Observances
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United Planning Organization (UPO): MLK Memorial Breakfast 2016 |
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2016 UPO MLK Scholarship Recipients
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UPO's MLK Memorial Breakfast raised funds to provide college scholarships fordeserving, financially challenged Washington, DC high school graduates.Since the program's inception in 1990, nearly a million dollars in scholarships has been awarded to 160 DC youth to attend post-secondary institutions.
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Census Data On Poverty: Racial and Ethnic Minority Children Disproportionately Poor
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| | Is America Dreaming?: Understanding Social Mobility |
Published on Aug 19, 2014, Brookings Fellow Richard Reeves explores inequality and opportunity in America with Legos, using them to explain the chances for economic success of Americans born at the bottom of the economic ladder. Reeves shows the chances that the poorest fifth of Americans have to rise to the top, based on their race, the marital status of their mothers, and their level of education.
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