Day Fit for a King

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and I realized that I needed to update myself on some facts. That last time I really concerned myself with understanding the history of this great man was when I visited his grave, church, and museum a few years ago. Needless to say, I was almost in tears halfway through the museum. It's not that I forget or fail to observe (even though I'm almost always working on his birthday) but time has a way of revealing all truths. I needed to learn something new.

He turned 80 last Thursday and that served as a subtle reminder that I lost my own grandmother last year at the age of 80. She was originally from Charleston, South Carolina which unfortunately still has that plantation feel. It was definitely an eye-opener when I visited last April.

So, what did I learn? New Hampshire was one of the last states to observe the holiday. That surprised me. The amount of time from the first introduction of the bill to the last state adopting the holiday: 32 years. But, on a positive note, the city of Hiroshima in Japan observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the request of its mayor. On the surface you would think this makes sense. But on the other hand, would it be far-fetched to think that the good people of Hiroshima have reason to celebrate Death to America Day? They don't and that's the power of Dr. King's message.

Transcript from Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima can be found here.
Another good read can be found here.
And a little Wikipedia for good measure.