RRS Honors Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ann Arbor, MI – “ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This statement is only a part of the famous I Have a Dream speech given in 1963 by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. but still invokes emotions when these words are spoken. Those emotions and memories were remembered on January 18th as the nation celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day; a federal holiday celebrated the third Monday of January each year around the time of King’s birthday on January 15th.
The holiday, which was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000, is to commemorate the civil rights chief spokesman who devoted his life to nonviolent activism and equal rights. He is best known for leading the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott which ended racial segregation on all Montgomery public buses in 1957, founding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, being the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and leading not only the 1963 March on Washington but several others to end racial prejudice in the U.S. While he had opponents that didn’t always agree with his nonviolent tactics or political views, everyone can agree that King was a leader in racial equality including helping to end Jim Crowe segregation in the South. King was assassinated in Tennessee in 1968 but his mission and goals continue to this day.
King, inspired by Ghandi, fully believed that you need to be the change you wish to see in the world. Part of that change is to think globally and act locally. King lived his life believing small steps count, holding true for not just civil rights but making a difference in our environment. This MLK day, Resource Recycling Systems encourages you to take the small step and be the change you wish to see in the world. Vowing to recycle your newspapers, changing one incandescent bulb to a CFL bulb, car pooling or taking the bus to work, using reusable shopping bags at the store, or composting your food and yard waste can make a huge difference in conserving our natural resources. Resource Recycling Systems wishes everyone a happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day and encourages everyone to honor Dr. King by making a pledge to take one small step towards fostering change.