The third Monday of every January recognizes Martin Luther King, Jr. through the national MLK Day of Service when Americans are encouraged to volunteer around their communities.
This year’s coronavirus pandemic will change how events are organized and planned such as those at UTRGV. Program Coordinator for Leadership and Mentoring Vanessa Sandoval says how her department will tackle the challenge.
“Due to COVID…We won’t be offering service opportunities..,” Sandoval says. “This year, we’re making it an MLK Day of Learning and really [see] behind why we go out and serve…”
Sandoval says Leadership and Mentoring will be hosting a virtual film screening of “I Am Not Your Negro” 5 p.m today via the Netflix Teleparty app and a virtual workshop at 5 p.m tomorrow on the Black Lives Matter movement.
It is important to remember why the nation observes MLK Day despite recent hardships with the pandemic. UTRGV Associate Professor of History Amy Hay explains.
“I really do feel like it makes for meaningful remembrance of Dr. King,” she says, “for us to be engaged in helping our community.”
The AmeriCorps website states MLK Day is the only national holiday also recognized as a day of service. Hay explains the origins of this holiday.
“At the time it was proposed, initially, it was labor unions who were trying to put it,” Hays says, “make it part of their…contract negotiations and then more people wanted to honor and recognize the work that Reverend King had done for the Civil Rights movement.”
Hay mentions how despite starting from Labor Union negotiations, this holiday slowly grew into the day of remembrance and service that we know now in order to honor the work of King and his accomplishments in civil rights.
Sociology Junior Shi’anne Swift says MLK Day acts as a day to remember the peaceful movements that King led and the effect they have today.
“It’s a day for us to remember how we got here and what Martin Luther King, Jr. started. I feel like he walked so we can run,” Swift says.
Visit the VLink page for more information or to RSVP for the events.
This is Rodolfo Alvarado for Vaquero News.
