Today is a holiday and the third day of a long weekend. It is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and it is a day we remember and celebrate Dr. King's legacy through service to others. We're taking the day off (mostly!) but look for a couple of new posts later today. Also, read on for one of our favorite quotes about Dr. King (it has to do with food!)...
The Kitchn and Apartment Therapy are both devoted to helping people make their homes beautiful, organized and healthy. We also believe in taking care of our bigger home, whether it's our neighborhood, country or planet. So we encourage you to find a way to volunteer, serve others, or simply make a meal for someone close to you. Bake a batch of cookies, invite someone to dinner, stock up your freezer with soups to give away later, or simply make an especially loving dinner for your household.
Every year I read Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as a reminder of his courage and integrity, and the role he played in our country. If you've never read it I highly recommend it.
I also really love this quote from Joy Bennett Kinnon about Dr. King and honoring his legacy:
"The first challenge in honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to keep it real. I'm fortunate because some of my colleagues actually knew him as a young man and worked closely with him until his death. They tell me that King as a young man loved to have a good time. He loved soul food: red beans and rice, greens and ham hocks and pigs' feet."She continues with a quote from Dr. King that really moved me:
"I choose to identify with the underprivileged," King said. "I choose to identify with the poor. I choose to give my life for the hungry. I choose to give my life for those who have been left out of the sunlight of opportunity. I choose to live for those who find themselves seeing life as a long and desolate corridor with no exit sign. This is the way I'm going. If it means suffering a little bit, I'm going that way. If it means sacrificing, I'm going that way. If it means dying for them, I'm going that way, because I heard a voice saying, `Do something for others.'"
Hospitality of home and table is perhaps the most direct, personal avenue to "keeping it real," in the pursuit of friendship and peace with others. King's legacy continues to challenge us to extend hospitality to those who are different from us, to those who come from different backgrounds and cultures, to those who may think differently.
We want to find inspiration in that here at The Kitchn, and to find new ways, together with you, to identify with the poor, give to the hungry, and open our homes to the stranger.
Happy Martin Luther King Day, and happy cooking. See you tomorrow...
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Do southern states not participate in this holiday? I read earlier that a lot of states were resistant to join in on observing, and here in FL (i'm a chicago transplant), well, I'm at work today. Up north, everyone's off. Strange?
In my observation, most companies either take MLK Day or Presidents' Day, but not both. While I would rather celebrate today, I think more companies take the latter because we are still recovering from the Christmas/New Years' holidays, and it spaces things out a bit better since our next day off isn't until Memorial Day.
I, alas, am also at work today, but am taking some time to re-watch "I Have a Dream" and read "Letter From Birmingham Jail" as linked above.
Really? Most companies I have worked for/dealt with take neither Presidents nor MLK off.
bens, agreed, i just checked my employee book and we dont get either. oh well.
We don't get MLK day, President's day, or Columbus day off. However, the paid holiday week between Christmas and New Year's means I am not compaining.
When I was younger MLK was my biggest hero, I wrote a letter to him every year for the holiday. Now that I've found out he cheated on his wife I'm not such a fan. He still did great things though.
I am from a very liberal part of the North, and while government employees get today off because it is a federal holiday, most private companies (including mine) don't add it to their vacation calendar, probably due to the post-holiday timing as others have said.
My Chicago company doesn't get the day off for MLK, President's Day, or Columbus Day.
Thanks for posting about the great Dr. King! What a beautiful photograph of him. Chicago public radio played part of Studs Terkel's radio documentary, "This Train" which was a recording of people traveling to the March on Washington. It was pretty profound and a great way to start the day. I read a post last year about MLK's favorite foods and I thought it would be fun to have a dinner party based around those foods to celebrate his day but I haven't done that yet. I must do that next year! No pigs feet, though!
I couldn't agree more that opening your home and practicing hospitality by feeding others is one of the most impactful things that an individual can do for world peace. I work in international development and spend my days doing my bit to combat global poverty, but I often feel that the most important thing I do all day is have someone over for dinner. There are so many things that are right about it.
Thanks for honoring MLK, and for the all-around awesome website.
Living in Jamaica of course we don't honor MLK day, so I called out sick! I miss the American holidays.
where I work we get the day off
In Mass.or prob. most states, it's called a 'floating holiday'. May have today off, but not Columbus day... or vice versa/people trade off, one or the other. I am fortunate to have CHRISTMAS AND THANKSGIVING OFF. : O But what a day to be able to stay home and watch the inauguration if you were able!!!!!