Editorial: School holiday shouldn’t mean break from activism

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is more than just a day off from
school. King’s memory continues to inspire activism and
communal efforts, ensuring the word equality has real meaning in
our society.

From a job fair in inner-city Los Angeles to dancing in the
streets across the South, people have found creative ways to
translate King’s vision into a theme relevant to communities
almost 40 years after the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

During his life, King fought the racist status quo and sought to
open the hearts and minds of those who were blinded by hate and
fear. He is widely recognized as one of the most important American
leaders, but the holiday created in his honor was not adopted
without effort.

King reached the height of his fame and influence in the 1960s
and was assassinated in 1968, but it was not until 1983 that
Congress voted the holiday into law. Even more surprisingly, it was
not until 1999 that all 50 states passed legislation adopting the
holiday.

Now, in 2005, almost all schools and businesses are closed every
third Monday in January for the holiday.

But in what manner do people observe the holiday, and where is
the civil rights movement today? Is MLK Jr. Day simply a memorial
for King himself, a time to read biographies about the man, or it
is a reminder of something more?

Those who knew King personally can help us answer those
questions. Rev. James Lawson began working with King in 1957 and is
a guest professor at UCLA today. In an interview with the Daily
Bruin, Lawson said, “Instead of having national holidays that
are more jingoistic, (we) have a holiday around a person and a
movement that worked on the issues of equality and justice in the
United States.”

Lawson makes an important point ““ of all the holidays
celebrated in the United States and around the world, MLK Jr. Day
is one of the few that does not require patriotic music or
celebrations of war.

Since King’s death, the civil rights struggle in this
country has changed, but it is far from over. Every state and city
struggles with its own problems.

Here in California, there are particularly pressing questions
about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and the status
of immigrants. Many of our schools remain essentially segregated
and unequal. From marriage to drivers’ licenses, millions of
people living in the United States still do not enjoy full equality
and unimpeded freedom.

College campuses in the 1960s were caldrons of revolt and
reform. But Monday, the UCLA campus was completely silent.

Part of that can be explained by the fact that social activism
today is very different than it was 50 years ago ““ leaders
with prominence are few, many people are again content to let the
status quo stand, and those who are involved are as likely to turn
to the Internet as the street.

But UCLA students should not use those points as excuses for
ignoring the world around them. Yes, life as a student is busy and
complicated, but students are still the most important link between
the present and future.

On Monday, we had a break from school and work. On Tuesday, we
should not forget why.