Honoring the 25th Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Mano en Mano’s Personnel Policy establishes six staff holidays per year and one of those is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In accordance with this policy, our offices will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2011. We encourage staff, board, and community members to make Monday a day of reflection and service, in honor of Dr. King and the vision he had for the world.
Executive Director Ian Yaffe will travel to Washington on January 26 to take part in an all-day teach-in at Georgetown Day School where he will present two workshops on social justice leadership and be featured in the event’s closing panel. The theme of the day is “Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Dr. King’s Legacy and 65 years of Social Justice at GDS.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday was established by an Act of Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983. It was first observed twenty-five years ago on January 20, 1986.
On January 14, 2011, President Barack Obama issued this year’s formal proclamation, saying:
“Dr. King guided us toward a mountaintop on which all Americans — regardless of skin color — could live together in mutual respect and brotherhood. His bold leadership and prophetic eloquence united people of all backgrounds in a noble quest for freedom and basic civil rights. Inspired by Dr. King’s legacy, brave souls have marched fearlessly, organized relentlessly, and devoted their lives to the unending task of perfecting our Union. Their courage and dedication have carried us even closer to the promised land Dr. King envisioned, but we must recognize their achievements as milestones on the long path to true equal opportunity and equal rights.
We must face the challenges of today with the same strength, persistence, and determination exhibited by Dr. King, guided by the enduring values of hope and justice embodied by other civil rights leaders. As a country, we must expand access to opportunity and end structural inequalities for all people in employment and economic mobility. It is our collective responsibility as a great Nation to ensure a strong foundation that supports economic security for all and extends the founding promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to every American. Dr. King devoted his life to serving others, reminding us that “human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle — the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” Commemorating Dr. King’s life is not only a tribute to his contributions to our Nation and the world, but also a reminder that every day, each of us can play a part in continuing this critical work.”
Visit serve.gov or contact us to find out more about ways your actions can help bring about a world that more closely resembles the vision that Dr. King had.